Boys basketball: Napavine wins Battle at the Beach tournament, Ilwaco finishes fifth
Published 12:44 pm Monday, June 27, 2022
- The three-day tournament culminated on Sunday, where No. 6 seed Napavine, pictured, topped No. 5 seed Ridgefield 55-45 to win the tournament championship.
ILWACO — It was a record-breaking heatwave along the Washington coast last weekend, but the competition inside the Ilwaco gymnasium was even hotter, where more than a dozen boys varsity basketball teams converged to determine the 2022 Battle at the Beach champion.
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The three-day, double-elimination tournament culminated on Sunday, where No. 6 seed Napavine topped No. 5 seed Ridgefield 55-45 to win the tournament championship.
Ilwaco had a strong showing, finishing fifth place overall, going 3-2 amid deep competition over the weekend.
More than a dozen teams from around the region participated, including Brewster, Hockinson, Granger, Ridgefield, Castle Rock, La Center, Adna, Highland, Napavine, Tenino, Astoria, Onalaska, Naches and Mabton.
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In the first game on Friday morning, in round-robin play, Ilwaco defeated Tenino 51-33. On Saturday, the No. 4 seeded Fishermen crushed No. 13 La Center 59-39, advancing to an afternoon matchup with No. 5 seed Ridgefield, who handed Ilwaco their first loss of the tournament, 55-45.
In the consolation bracket later Saturday afternoon, Ilwaco rebounded with a 51-45 victory over No. 8 seed Hockinson.
On Sunday, Ilwaco lost their second game, which would have ended their run in the double-elimination tournament, however some teams opted to shorten games and depart the tournament early as record-setting heat made a potential four-game day less appealing.
To fill the void in the scheduling, Ilwaco played against Granger in a shortened game before the tournament championship, which featured No. 5 seed Ridgefield versus No. 6 seed Napavine.
“I think we played really well,” summed first-year Ilwaco head coach Eric McMillan.
“After losing three seniors [to graduation] (Jaden Turner, Sam Glenn and Joey Fitzgerald) who did a lot for us, some guys are stepping into new roles…All in all, we have a fun, competitive group that will lace them up against anyone.”