By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The top-ranked Rainier Beach Vikings took on Liberty High School of the KingCo Conference last night in a district semifinal matchup at Bellevue College. Liberty, who entered the game with a 16-6 record, was looking to hand the Vikings only their second loss of the season, but Rainier Beach had other plans.
In the first quarter, the Vikings came out strong, showcasing their speed and skill with fast-paced play. Rainier Beach’s Jaylen Petty highlighted the quarter with a dunk that brought the stands to their feet. Liberty, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with the Vikings’ quickness, and it was clear from the start that Rainier Beach had the upper hand in this semifinal district matchup. Petty, who would add a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the opening quarter, led his team as they built a 29-14 lead going into the second quarter.
At the start of the second quarter, Liberty began to fight their way back into the game. But the Vikings didn’t slow down at all, as they continued to push the pace and keep control of the game. Even though Liberty struggled to keep pace with the Vikings, the Patriots’ Jackson Whitaker finished the first half with an impressive 22 points, as he did his best to help keep his team in the game. Just before the half ended, Rainier Beach’s Kaden Powers was sent to the line, where he converted two free throws to give the Vikings a 47-33 lead heading into the break.
In the third quarter, Liberty continued to keep up with the Vikings, not allowing the game to get too far out of reach, as they remained resilient, making smart plays and working together as a team. However, with contributions from all their players on the court, Rainier Beach was consistently able to hold a 10-point or better lead through most of the quarter. Despite their high energy and good team chemistry on the court, the Vikings started to struggle as Liberty began to increase their defensive efforts, creating opportunities for them to cut into Rainier Beach’s lead on the offensive end. Near the end of the third quarter, the Vikings started to show signs of struggle against Liberty’s defense. Despite their efforts, Liberty still trailed Rainier Beach by 12 points, 58-46, at the end of the quarter.
In the final quarter, Liberty began to feel the weight of defeat as Rainier Beach increased their intensity on offense and defense behind the impressive efforts of Micah Ili-Meneese and Marques Ili-Meneese. The Vikings never let their foot off the gas, as they mounted a very impressive run, allowing Liberty to score only nine points during the final quarter. As the game was noticeably getting out of Liberty’s reach, both teams made substitutions, bringing all of their reserve players off the bench. Despite the substitutions, the Vikings’ reserves brought their A-game as well. A huge block by Brayane Kuaka Luyeye set the tone for the reserve unit as they picked up where the starting unit of Nyale Robinson, Micah Ili-Meneese, Marques Ili-Meneese, Powers, and Petty left off. As the game wound down, Rainier Beach claimed their spot in the District 2 championship game with a 75-54 victory over the Patriots.
Petty finished the night with 23 points, Micah Ili-Meneese had 13 points, Marques Ili-Meneese finished with 11 points, while Powers chipped in 10 points to lead the Vikings. Liberty was led by Whitaker, who finished the night with 28 points.
