Skyline boys basketball falls to Olympia in state tourney opener

The Olympia Bears roared past the Skyline Spartans in the opening round of the state 4A boys basketball tournament on Feb. 24.

Back-and-forth in the tip-off sent the ball down court for Skyline, giving Nahmier Robinson the opportunity to sink the first 2-point shot of the night. But the Bears were quick to respond when Matt Lindblom made an equal addition, setting the tone for the entire game. Despite 3-point shots from both teams, numerous rebounds pulled down by the Bears gave Olympia more shooting opportunities and an early advantage to end the first quarter 18-8.

A sequence of consistent, well-executed plays provided a series of successful layups for Olympia, dampening Skyline’s morale. In an attempt to rally the Spartans, Nyale Robinson, out-maneuvering the Olympia defense, added a 3-point swish to the board. But try as they might, Skyline simply could not catch the Bears as they followed their nothing-but-net philosophy and continued to add to the board for a half-time score of 33-23.

Re-energized after the break, Skyline’s Trey Crandall aggressively fought for possession of the ball to kick off the third quarter for the Spartans. Unfazed by the Skyline opener, Drew Carlson’s precise shooting sent the ball over the heads of the Spartan defenders for a 3-point bucket for the Bears. Although the Spartans attempted to answer every shot with a bucket of their own, they simply could not catch up, allowing a 52-36 schism on the board.

While the Bears scoring remained consistent with a 14-point addition in the final quarter, the Spartans managed not only to keep pace but had their best quarter with 18. Despite their late rally, Skyline simply could not close the gap, ending play with a 3-pointer, but still ending with a 67-54 loss.

Skyline won against Davis on March 1, but subsequently lost against Federal Way on March 2 and Camas on March 3. They have been eliminated from the state tournament.