Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Gar Pal boys
Senior guard Matt Holbrook raises a fist, surrounded by players and classmates after Garfield/Palouse beat Wellpinit to advance to state. The game at Mt. Spokane High School was the same location where the Vikings’ season ended last year in heartbreak.
It seemed the whole state wanted him to get to state.
And he did – Matt Holbook, the four-year starter for Garfield/Palouse, whose teams knocked on the door of Spokane Arena for the past two years without an answer, got one, in the form of a 94-50 win over Wellpinit Saturday night in the regional round at Mt. Spokane High School.
It was the same location the Vikings lost to Cusick last year to end their season short of state.
A year later it was different, and the same.
“Same exact gym, same locker room, white jerseys,” said Holbrook of the loser-out regional. “It feels great to win this time.”
The Vikings did it on the steady play of Holbrook and another standout performance from Ian Neibergs, a force previously so unknown the Gazette couldn't even spell his name right.
“He's 75 percent better than he was at our first practice,” said first-year Vikings coach Steve Swinney. “He's just flourishing now.”
Holbrook and Neibergs led a supporting group of seniors – Wyatt Griner and Quentin Neumann scrapping against the Redskins underneath, Mitch Dymkoski hitting cushion three-pointers. At one point in the second half, Griner won a battle for possession, on the floor at mid-court, clutching the ball like it was the Arena itself.
Neibergs scored a career-high 30 points to lead Gar/Pal while Holbrook added 27 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and five assists. Griner scored eight points with 10 rebounds while Dymkoski had 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Vikings (20-2) open the state tournament at 9 a.m. Thursday against No. 1 seed Sunnyside Christian.
REGIONAL ROUND GAME Garfield/Palouse 94, Wellpinit 50
The game started and Holbrook rifled a pass to Mason Bates underneath, who faked, took the ball up and Wellpinit sophomore Brandon Flett's rib cage landed against his shoulder, sending Flett to the floor across the baseline. He went out of the game, and Bates hit the two free throws.
Holbrook rifled another pass underneath to Neibergs for another score. Neibergs followed that with a steal and lay-up for 9-0.
Dymkoski hit a three-pointer for 20-8 with 2:45 left in the first quarter.
A minute later, Neumann tipped a rebound to Dymkoski for 22-8.
Wellpinit's Flett came back in the game.
He held his side, and his coach called timeout at 5:59 in the second quarter.
Two minutes later, in a scramble, Garfield/Palouse freshman Ely Hawkins took the ball from Flett. A whistle blew, jump ball, possession arrow Gar/Pal.
Wellpinit called timeout again. A referee pulled out a hand rag and wiped his brow.
Holbrook got a steal and a layup for 30-18.
He rifled another pass under the hoop, and it was intercepted. Holbrook bolted to a spot, cutting off a passing lane and stared at the Redskins player. He double-dribbled.
Next, Dymkoski flung an alley-oop to Neibergs for the lay-in, 37-23.
It was 39-25 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Flett hit a three-pointer for 52-39.
“Take over, Brandon!” yelled a Wellpinit fan.
Holbrook answered with a three, 55-39 with 2:52 left in the third.
Nearing the fourth quarter, Neibergs drove the baseline, whipped a pass along the line to Neumann, who threw to Dymkoski for three, 62-39.
Into the fourth, Neibergs downed a three-pointer for 73-48.
Soon it was timeout Gar/Pal and Holbrook looked up at the scoreboard; 81-50 with 3:15 remaining.
It was now within reach, in a season that he did it a little differently.
Last year he wore the same socks each game in a nod to superstition, this year he didn't.
To the fore
Neibergs and the Vikings go to state in his lone year as a starter, after limited time off the bench last year, mostly in blowout wins.
In the fall, after football games, coach Will Woltering didn’t even have to check the stat sheet to know who the leading tackler was; it was always Neibergs.
But success in basketball was elusive. Saturday's win to take Gar/Pal to state was a new level.
“I've never experienced it but I've imagined it,” Neibergs said.
The win over Wellpinit marks three powerhouse games from him in the postseason as the Vikings advanced on Spokane.
Back in November, Neibergs walked into the gym for the first practice to a new coach.
“He dribbled behind his back in the first practice,” said Swinney. “I stopped him, said, no, we're not doing that.”
The coach instead pushed him to slow down, think before you do and now he’s done it.
Ian Neibergs with an “ei” is in the state tournament program.
They already knew how to spell Holbrook.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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