The early tipoff may have left the Timberwolves rubbing their eyes a bit early on, but it was only a matter of time before the state’s top-ranked team — literally, in this case — woke up.
Morton-White Pass (24-0) scored 24 points in the second quarter and romped past Ocosta, 86-37, in the regional playoffs Saturday morning in Chehalis, securing a third-straight trip to the State 2B Boys Basketball Tournament in Spokane and a shot at defending their state championship.
The Wildcats — the No. 5 seed out of District 4 — had things tied at 12 late in the first quarter.
“The first quarter was tight. These games are so brutal on the kids, and the coaches — there’s so much pressure in these regional games, that sometimes you can come out tight,” MWP coach Tony Gillispie said. “Ocosta came out with a ton of energy and played with extreme confidence early on.”
The Timberwolves, though, took control in the second quarter, starting it with a 6-0 run — keyed by a pair of buckets and a steal by Bryce Collette — and adding a 13-3 run to lead 38-22 at the intermission.
It quickly went from bad to worse for Ocosta. Morton-White Pass pushed the lead to 30 in the third quarter, and outscored the Wildcats 23-2 in the fourth, holding them scoreless over the final 5 1/2 minutes.
Zach Walton led MWP with 17 points, while Kaleb Poquette and Zach Hanson each added 15. Hanson went 6 of 9 from the field and hauled in a game-high seven rebounds.
Kolby Dunlap added 12 points, while Collette finished with 8 and, along with Braiden Elledge, provided a defense spark off the bench in the first half, Gillispie said.
“I thought Bryce and Braiden, during that second quarter, really spurred our defense and got us going,” Gillispie said. “I’ve got tons of confidence in them, and that’s why I go to them.”
The Timberwolves’ younger players provided a late-game highlight. Matt Poquette, Kade Gillispie, Gage LaClef, Derrick Erskine and Ryan Collette checked into the game with 2:29 left to play and quickly went on an 11-0 run, going 4 of 6 from the field with 3-pointers from Collette, Gillispie and LaClef.
“The young kids, they had fun out there and hit some shots,” Gillispie said. “I was proud of them.”
Caleb Tackett — a bespectacled 6-foot-1 senior center — led Ocosta with 12 points.
“He’s a really weird matchup. He’s a broad-shouldered kid, he gets a lot of space, and he’s a good shooter,” Gillispie said. “He just clears space and gets his shot off.”
Morton-White Pass will start State 2B tournament play on Thursday at the Spokane Arena. The Timberwolves’ first-round opponent will be announced at the WIAA’s state draw Sunday night.
