Top performers from Day 3 of the 3A state tournament
It was semifinal night at the Hardwood Classic Friday with spots in the championship game on the line in Tacoma, Yakima and Spokane. Here are eight standouts from day three of the 3A tournament at the Tacoma Dome:
Jaylen Nowell – Garfield
The star senior, who Garfield coach Ed Haskins called “the greatest player from Garfield of all time,” showed why with a rebound and putback at the buzzer that clinched a 44-43 victory over West Seattle for the Bulldogs. Nowell finished with a team-high 14 points in the defensive battle – with none bigger than those final two to send his team back to the 3A championship game.
Nate Pryor – West Seattle
Pryor, a Seattle University commit, scored a game-high 19 points for West Seattle – including a runner with 10 seconds left that put the Wildcats up 43-42 with 10 seconds remaining – in West Seattle’s thrilling semifinal against Garfield. Pryor added two steals and four rebounds to his stats.
Michael Porter Jr. – Nathan Hale
Because at this point, no “best of” list can ever not include the top-ranked recruit in the nation. Porter had 27 points, 13 rebounds and a few more monster dunks to add to his already impressive highlight reel in an 84-60 win over Lincoln. The Washington commit has helped lead the way for the Raiders this season, who will face Garfield as they try to win the first state title in the program’s history.
P.J. Fuller – Nathan Hale
Interestingly, it was Fuller – and not Porter – who led Nathan Hale in scoring with 29 points. Raiders coach, and former NBA all-star, Brandon Roy said that’s happened one other time this season. The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard shot 11 of 13 from the field (85 percent) including 3 of 5 from behind the 3-point arc.
Trevante Anderson – Lincoln
The junior point guard from Lincoln did all he could to help the Abes hang with top-ranked Nathan Hale. The 6-foot-2 Anderson scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds – both team highs – and helped Lincoln keep pace with the Raiders through the first three quarters. After suffering its first loss of the season against Nathan Hale, Lincoln (26-1) will look to rebound against West Seattle in the third/fifth-place game.
Kevin Porter – Rainier Beach
The 6-foot-5 junior made sure his season lasted one more game netting 26 points, grabbing nine rebounds and finished with three assists for the Vikings in a 93-72 win over Wilson in a loser-out game. Porter was also 14 of 17 from the free throw line in the win.
Emmitt Matthews Jr. – Wilson
The 6-foot-7 power forward scored 23 points for Wilson in the Rams’ season-ending loss to Rainier Beach. Matthews will return to a Wilson team that has been to at least the regional round of the state tournament in five of the last six seasons.
AJ Martinka – Stanwood
The senior scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds – both team highs – for the Spartans in their 61-58 victory over Seattle Prep in a loser-out game. The 6-foot-6 guard led a balanced Stanwood team that featured five players with eight or more points. Martinka and the Spartans face Rainier Beach on Saturday in the fourth/sixth-place game with a chance to clinch the program’s best-ever finish with a win.