Everybody inside a packed Auburn High School gym Saturday night was expecting a great game between the top-ranked Federal Way Eagles and No. 2 Decatur Gators.
The two teams were playing for the South Puget Sound League championship and the league’s top seed into the West Central District Tournament.
But even the fans got more than they expected in the grudge match between Federal Way and Decatur.
For the second time in their last three games, the two teams needed overtime to decide a winner. And for the third time in a row, it was Federal Way that came out on top. The top-ranked Eagles outlasted Decatur in double overtime, 69-63, Saturday at Auburn.
The win clinched the SPSL’s top seed into the West Central District Tournament and a first-round game against Auburn Riverside. The Eagles will host the Ravens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Decatur will host Wilson, the sixth-place team from the Narrows League, Thursday.
With Decatur leading by three points, Federal Way’s Jeff Forbes picked a huge time to tally his only field goal of the game when he nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation.
The Eagles then rode guards Michael Hale and Isiah Umipig during the two overtime periods. The pair tallied 10 of Federal Way’s 12 points in the overtimes. Hale led Federal Way with 25 points and Umipig scored 21.
Decatur seemed to be in total control for most of the game. The Gators rolled out to a 19-10 lead late in the first quarter and led 33-30 at halftime.
Jordan McCloud scored 17 to lead Decatur (18-3), which had won seven straight since losing to the Eagles at the King Holiday Hoopfest last month at the University of Washington. Federal Way needed overtime to beat Decatur in last year’s state semifinal inside the Tacoma Dome.
During both overtime periods Saturday night, the Eagles held the ball near midcourt for more than two minutes while Decatur sagged back into the lane.
Beamer 73, Auburn Riverside 65 (Friday)
The Titans got double-digit scoring from five players during Friday’s win over the Ravens at Thomas Jefferson High School at the SPSL Tournament. The win gave Beamer (11-10) the SPSL’s ninth seed into the West Central District Tournament and a first-round meeting with the Foss Falcons. Foss recently won the Narrows League championship and will host the game Thursday night.
Beamer was led by the 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots during their win over Auburn Riverside (11-10). The Ravens also got 14 points from Vlad Aficiuc, 13 from Napa Mefi, 11 points and 13 rebounds from Chase Hildebrandt and 10 from Dominique Hebert.
The Titans dominated most of the game, building up a 24-point lead during the third quarter. But thanks to hot shooting by Riverside’s Ryan Rogers, the Ravens cut the lead to just eight, which is how the game ended. Rogers finished with 21 points.
West Central District tournament
First Round
Boys
Game 1: Wilson at Decatur
Game 2: Bellarmine Prep at Kentridge
Game 3: Auburn at Kentwood
Game 4: Beamer at Foss
Game 5: Puyallup at Mount Tahoma
Game 6: Lincoln at Curtis
Game 7: Rogers at Central Kitsap
Game 8: Auburn Riverside at Federal Way
