SPOKANE — The nightcap of the Class 2B state tournament featured several items for viewing pleasure on Wednesday.
Relentless guards from Liberty Bell. A junior star in Adna’s Trevin Salme. And, at times, some ugly basketball mixed in with cathartic offensive brilliance.
For the ninth-seeded Pirates, they were only interested in serving up some payback. Three-hundred and sixty four days ago, the Mountain Lions celebrated a double digit Round of 12 victory.
“We knew coming in they are probably the toughest, scrappiest team here,” Salme stated. “Why not go out and win it?”
Revenge = delivered.
Salme finished off a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double with the final seven points of the fourth quarter that Adna needed to topple No. 8 Liberty Bell 49-39 inside Spokane Arena to be the final District 4 boys team still alive.
For the second time in three state tournaments, Adna (23-4) will play for the right to leave the east side with some hardware. It will battle No. 2 Northwest Christian on Thursday night in the quarterfinals.
Tip is scheduled for 9 p.m.
“It was scary, now it is sweet,” Pirates head coach Luke Salme said. “It is a scary team. That is relentless pressure, you know it is coming, but you can’t be prepared for it and you just have to work your way through it.
“We defended like crazy.”
Consider the following stats for Adna. It recorded 21 turnovers, made just 18 field goals on 51 attempts, were whistled for 17 fouls and went 13-of-32 from downtown.
How did the Pirates pull off a 10-point victory?
By winning the rebounding battle 45-25, securing seven more offensive rebounds and claiming the assist battle 13-3.
Oh, and for the fourth straight game, hold their opponents to under 50 points.
“Honestly, we didn’t do great, but we got enough stops that it didn’t really matter,” Trevin Salme said. “Every team is good and we need to get stops to compete with anyone.”
Stringing performances together on the defensive side of the court have been few and far between. The Pirates only accomplished eight times prior to their winner-to-state victory over Onalaska.
Liberty Bell hadn’t been held to an output under 40 all season. Until Adna recorded 43 defensive stops, three more than its opponent.
“Our defensive effort was phenomenal,” Coach Salme said. “At this time of the year, that is when you have to do it or you don’t give yourself a chance. That is the only reason why we’re still playing.”
Trevin Salme only made four 3s, but each were not set and in the corner. His final one with 1 minute, 52 seconds left in regulation put Adna up 45-37. He sank his final four three throws to ice the victory.
“We need a big play and I missed a few in a row, but got to keep shooting,” the 6-foot-2 guard said.
A quick 9-1 lead for the Pirates put them in control early, but the Mountain Lions were far from going away quietly. They cut the deficit to one twice in the second and hung around by margins of five, six, eight and nine points.
Adna never trailed.
“They are so different from anyone else,” Coach Salme said of the Mountain Lions. “I just wanted that clock to move a little bit quicker in that fourth quarter.”
Grayson Humphrey added 12 points and three steals for the Pirates while Landen Cline dished out eight assists and Jackson Knittle hauled in seven rebounds. Three others grabbed six boards on the night.
No. 2 seed Northwest Christian needed a second half flurry to upend Napavine in the opening round. The Crusaders do have one strength to Adna’s one weakness, which is size. They boast four guys listed at 6-foot-3 or taller.
The Pirates did watch film from the regional round. They’re aiming to replicate what worked in order to guarantee a game on Saturday.
“Go out and compete, see what happens,” Trevin Salme said. “As long as we come out with energy and show what we know we can do.”
