By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last night, the Rainier Beach Vikings and Seattle Prep Panthers faced off in a highly anticipated 3A boys state basketball quarterfinal matchup at the Tacoma Dome. With a trip to the semifinals on the line, both teams came ready to battle, but in the end, Rainier Beach’s sharp shooting and relentless energy proved too much, as the Vikings secured a dominant 99-75 victory.
In the first quarter, the Panthers won the tip-off and quickly went to work as Seattle Prep’s Niko Christofilis made a quick basket, which Rainier Beach’s Kaden Powers followed with two points as well. Christofilis struck again as he hit another three-point shot. However, Rainier Beach’s Dre Morris clapped back and drained a three-point shot to tie the score at 5-5.
Rainier Beach’s Marques Ili-Meneese then fouled Seattle Prep’s Mason Winegardner on a three-point shot, and Christofilis converted all three free-throw attempts to give the Panthers an 8-5 lead. Christofilis then hit another three-point shot, to which the Vikings responded with four quick points from Jaylen Petty and a basket from Micah Ili-Meneese to tie the game at 11.
In the final 30 seconds, Winegardner hit a three-point shot, and Powers returned the favor with a three-point shot of his own to tie the game once again at 17 all. Seattle Prep closed out the quarter with a jump shot by Nirvaan Misra as the Panthers took a 19-17 lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter began with Kaden Powers converting an and-1 at the free-throw line, putting Rainier Beach ahead 20-19. The game remained tight early in the quarter, with both teams playing at an even level. However, Petty provided a spark for the Vikings, scoring back-to-back baskets to push the lead to 26-21.
Seattle Prep’s Nicholas Schanno responded with a basket, but Rainier Beach’s Nyale Robinson drained a three-point shot, which Petty followed with a steal and a layup to extend the Vikings’ lead to 31-23. Petty then added two more points from the free-throw line, giving the Vikings a double-digit lead at 33-23.
With just over four minutes remaining in the quarter, Rainier Beach’s Dre Morris caught fire, hitting three-pointers on three consecutive possessions for the Vikings. Schanno would connect on a three-point shot for Seattle Prep, but it wasn’t enough as Morris’ scoring spree pushed the Vikings’ lead to 39-28.
The Panthers tried to slow Beach’s momentum as Beckham King converted one free throw, but Morris answered again, sinking his fourth three-pointer of the quarter to extend the lead to 42-30. Seattle Prep called a timeout in an effort to regroup, but by halftime, the Vikings held a commanding 46-34 lead.
Seattle Prep started the second half with possession but quickly lost the ball out of bounds, allowing Rainier Beach to take over. On the next play, Morris was fouled while shooting a three and converted all three free throws, making the score 49-34. Petty then scored four quick points, but Seattle Prep’s Dakota Jeffcoat responded by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to 53-42.
With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, both teams were pushing the tempo, flying up and down the court in a fast-paced battle. Petty continued his strong play, adding four more points, and Robinson followed with a basket and a putback to give Rainier Beach a 67-50 lead.
The matchup between Petty and Seattle Prep’s Christofilis became a three-point shooting duel, with each player seemingly answering the other’s shots. Christofilis hit a deep three-pointer to cut into the Vikings’ lead, bringing the score to 72-57. However, Rainier Beach maintained its offensive rhythm, as Micah Ili-Meneese and Seattle Prep’s Nirvaan Misra traded baskets in the final seconds of the quarter. By the end of the third, the Vikings held a 74-59 advantage.
The final quarter opened with Petty picking up his third foul, sending Schanno to the line, where he converted one of two free throws, making it 74-60. Misra then hit a three-pointer for the Panthers, narrowing the gap to 74-63. However, Rainier Beach quickly responded with a 5-0 run, led by Ili-Meneese and another three-pointer from Morris, pushing the lead back to 79-63 before calling a full timeout.
After the timeout, Marques Ili-Meneese picked up his third foul, sending Christofilis to the line, where he sank both free throws to bring the score to 79-65. Rainier Beach then went on another offensive surge, with Morris and Marques Ili-Meneese combining for eight points while Schanno added four points for Seattle Prep. With just three minutes left to play, the Vikings had extended their lead to 87-69.
Rainier Beach refused to slow down, going on a 6-0 run fueled by Powers, Robinson, and Marques Ili-Meneese to stretch the margin to 93-69. With 1:37 remaining, the Vikings subbed out their starting lineup, giving their bench players an opportunity to close out the game.
Jay Wheeler-Burns immediately contributed with a basket, while Ray Proctor-Mills Jr. and Jakob Lubetich combined for four free throws. Seattle Prep’s Meza hit one final three-pointer, and Joe Matter added a last-minute basket, but as the final buzzer sounded, the Vikings had recorded a dominant 99-75 victory over the Panthers.
Morris finished the night with 25 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Petty contributed 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Micah Ili-Meneese added 19 points, seven rebounds, and one assist for the Vikings.
Christofilis led Seattle Prep with 24 points, one rebound, and three assists, while King chipped in 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
After the game, Rainier Beach Head Coach Mike Bethea acknowledged Seattle Prep’s talent and resilience.
“We knew we were in for a dogfight. They are a great team and very capable of being in the championship,” Bethea said. “They played us tough all year, and we know basketball is a game of runs. Like I told the guys, we just have to make sure we get the most runs.”
With the win, Rainier Beach advances to the semifinals, where they will face Garfield tonight at 9:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Seattle Prep moves to the consolation bracket and will take on Bellevue at 2:00 p.m. in a loser-out game.
