OYEHUT — Even after their love affair with the 3-point shot had waned, North Beach’s boys still had Steven Sotomish.
Sotomish poured through 35 points — 10 in the fourth quarter — as the Hyaks advanced to the main draw of the District IV Class 2B Boys Basketball Tournament with an 80-63 win over Wahkiakum on Monday at North Beach’s “House of Pain” gym.
By surviving Monday’s district play-in game (new to the tourney this year), the Hyaks (8-13) gained entry into the double-elimination bracket. They’ll face Morton/White Pass at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rochester.
The Hyaks canned 16 of 20 foul shots in the fourth quarter to turn back a Wahkiakum rally. But it was a dazzling display of long-range shooting in the first half that enabled them to lead from the outset.
North Beach knocked down nine 3-pointers in the first half alone while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field.
Sotomish, who wound up 12-of-23 from the floor, contributed four of the treys despite being the subject of a box-and-one defense. Nolan Charley, Marcus Pope, Austin Brown and Rodney Washington also contributed to the long-distance assault.
“For the most part, we were open,” North Beach coach Larry Moore said. “When they go box-and-one on Steven, we’ve got guys who can hit those shots. And Steven got on a roll in the first half. That’s what he can do.”
With Sotomish scoring 22 and Pope 12 points, the Hyaks led 46-27 at the half. They increased the margin to 21 early in the third quarter.
Almost inevitably, however, North Beach cooled off in the second half. Attacking the basket successfully and hitting a few three-balls of their own, the Mules (6-12) trimmed the deficit to eight on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter. It was 68-60 after a Zach Brown basket with about 2 1/2 minutes left.
Sotomish, however, answered with a pair of free throws and fed Charley for a layin that re-established a 12-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. The Hyaks owned a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
Moore saluted his team’s composure in the fourth quarter.
Pope finished with 22 points and six assists. Washington led North Beach rebounders with 11. Sotomish also grabbed six rebounds.
K.C. Beery led Wahkiakum — which starts two freshmen and a sophomore — with 17 points.
North Beach senior forward Ben Poplin, who has been sidelined a couple of weeks with a strained knee, is scheduled to resume practice and might be available for Wednesday’s second-round contest.
Wahkiakum 13 14 13 23 — 63
North Beach 22 24 8 26 — 80
Wahkiakum (63) — L. Brown 15, LaBerge 9, Carlson 3, Z. Brown 11, Beery 17, Nelson 7, Quigley, Wilson, Moon 1, Cothren. FG — 24-69 (.348). FT — 7-13.
North Beach (80) — Sotomish 35, Charley 11, Brown 5, Washington 6, Pope 22, Beck, Muro, Ruiz, Day-Heyd 1. FG — 25-52 (.481). FT — 19-27.
