Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Gar Pal boys
Gar Pal boys
Vikings senior Matt Holbrook is interviewed by KHQ television, surrounded by his teammates and coach Steve Swinney, at right, after Gar/Pal’s win over Seattle Lutheran Saturday at Spokane Arena.
The team gathers before the fourth-place trophy presentation. Gar/Pal’s finish is the first state placing in seven years.
The Gar/Pal boys suited up in Spokane and shed a cloak of disappointment.
Making state after two years of heartbreak short of the goal, the 2015-16 team brings back the fourth-place 1B trophy.
The finish came after an opening round loss to Sunnyside Christian followed by wins over Taholah and Seattle Lutheran.
“The nerves in the first game got to us,” said senior forward Wyatt Griner.
Dropping into the consolation bracket Friday morning, they beat Taholah as Matt Holbrook – the four-year starter who arrived at Spokane Arena to find it cold, against Sunnyside Christian – reclaimed his touch, scoring 32 points in the 87-52 win.
The Vikings advanced to play Seattle Lutheran for fourth place at 8 a.m. Saturday. The loser would take sixth.
Gar/Pal won 59-54, holding on in a game they never trailed.
“After the first round we played our best ball of the year,” said Vikings coach Steve Swinney.
Last year, Gar/Pal graduated three three-year starters, ending their season in the regional round.
“That was a huge motivation,” Griner said. “We were chasing No. 1. Last year we were playing like we were already in first place.”
On Saturday, a day which began as early as 4 a.m., waking up at home to return to Spokane on the bus, Griner and the team sealed a top memory of their time in Gar/Pal sports.
“This is No. 1 by far,” Griner said, describing the moment. “Unexplainable really.”
“It's a great feeling,” said Quentin Neumann, one of the seniors to step into key roles this year after playing as a backup before.
“We gave the first team runs in practice a lot last year,” he said. “We all had to step it up.”
Fourth-place game: Garfield/Palouse 59, Seattle Lutheran 54
A cheerleader yawned, covering it in a blue and silver pom-pom.
The early tipoff began a game with Gar/Pal's Ian Neibergs tight on Seattle Lutheran's No. 11, Xavier Turner.
No. 11 downed a three-pointer and turned to gesture to his crowd.
But Holbrook was on, making his first three shots.
Mitch Dymkoski hit a three-pointer from the corner for 16-5.
At the end of the first quarter, Gar/Pal led 16-7.
In the second, Holbrook wove the long court and flipped the ball to Neibergs for 20-11.
Dymkoski hit another three for 23-12.
Turner then missed a dunk – looking like a better football player than basketball player.
It was 27-22 at halftime.
Seattle Lutheran pushed to narrow the gap in the third quarter. Turner got a steal from Griner to cut Gar/Pal's lead to one.
Then Griner fought for a rebound off a missed Dymkoski free throw for 35-32 Vikings.
Neumann got trapped on the sideline and called timeout.
Back on the floor, the Saints' Roberto Duenaz downed a three-pointer to tie the game, 37-37.
Timeout Gar/Pal, and Mason Bates talked to a ref before Neibergs waved him over to the huddle.
Gar/Pal fans and the pep band had an intramural “we-got-spirit-yes-we-do” battle, and a Holbrook steal and lay-up put Gar/Pal back up by four.
Turner made a spin move and drew a whistle for traveling.
At the one minute mark, the Vikings held their three-point lead.
Under two minutes remaining, Seattle Lutheran fouled Neibergs, who made one free throw for 55-51.
The Saints' Josh Meyer hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to one with :59 left.
Neibergs was then fouled again, going back to the line.
He made the first for 56-54.
He didn't know it yet, but he had a broken wrist, from a fall to the floor.
Seattle Lutheran took the ball up the court, Meyer drove and missed from three feet.
The Saints fouled Dymkoski, who made one to put Gar/Pal up 57-54 with nine seconds left. Time out Seattle Lutheran and Dymkoski made the second.
At the end, Turner drove one last time for naught.
Holbrook led the Vikings with 23 points and seven assists in the game while Griner scored 11 points with nine rebounds. Neibergs added nine points and six rebounds while Dymkoski scored eight points.
Turner led Seattle Lutheran with 16 points while Duenaz had 11.
Neibergs is set for surgery on his wrist next week. In the meantime, on Tuesday night, he won the dunk contest at the 1B North-South All-Star Game in Clarkston using one hand, Holbrook feeding him the ball.
Gar/Pal's fourth-place finish is the boys' first state trophy in seven years.
“It was a nice run for these boys,” said Swinney, who started to believe they could get to state four or five games into the season. “We really came together as a team. They just kept improving and improving.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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