The Eagles are one game from playing for the boys 4A state basketball championship.
Thursday Federal Way beat Moses Lake 73-63 in the quarterfinal round of the Hardwood Classic at the Tacoma Dome.
After winning the district championship beating Kentwood 74-56 Feb. 21 at Puyallup High, the Eagles came out on top of Timberline 78-60 in the regional round of the state tournament.
The Federal Way boys took the No. 1 seed from District 3 in the quarterfinal round playing Moses Lake.
The Eagles will play at 5:30 p.m. today, Friday, in the semifinals against Union.
Quarterfinal
Federal Way started slowly in the first quarter with Moses Lake taking an early 5-2 lead. At about the midway point of the quarter the Eagles took the lead at 10-9. The team extended its lead 17-10 by the end of the first frame.
The Chiefs fought back tying the game at 19 with about five minutes left in the half.
Over the final minutes of the half, Federal Way went on an offensive run with Ferron Flavors hitting a three at the two minute mark. The Eagles went into the locker room with a 35-26 lead. Flavors led the first half scoring with 14 for Federal Way.
The Eagles shifted into high gear in the second half with Viont’e Daniels and D’Jimon Jones hitting three point shots. Federal Way extended its lead to 58-39 by the end of the third.
The Chiefs drained some three pointers, but the Eagles cruised through the final minutes of the game to punch its ticket to the semifinal game.
The biggest lead for Federal Way was 24.
Leading scorer was Daniels with 22 with 4-8 on three point shoots.
Flavors ended with 21.
Leading rebounders were Jalen McDaniels and Daniels with six each.
The Eagles scored 30 points from turnovers.
Regionals
Federal Way coach Jerome Collins spent the halftime with his players reminding them who they are offensively and how to defensively stop Timberline’s penetration.
After three decades on the sidelines, Collins had the answers for his team.
Federal Way won the scoring in first quarter 16-14, but Timberline came back and outscored the Eagles 16-15. Federal Way took the halftime break with a slim 31-30 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter was a different story with the Eagles opening up the scoring posting 22 points and 25 in the fourth.
Junior center Jalen McDaniels dominated the post in the second half and hit shots from the inside and outside.
“I came out (in the second half) and said I didn’t want to end the game like that,” McDaniels said.
