45th Annual
North Central District "A"
Boys Basketball Tournament
2002

Champ

ionship

Febr

uary 17

Brew
(22

ster
-0)

Score

: 45-32

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Lake Roosevelt 63, Liberty Bell 47
Game 1.
At Chelan, WA

Lake Roosevelt's Garrett Strocsher lit up the Lions for 15 first-quarter points and a game-high 29.
“I wasn't really hitting anything before the game,” Strocsher said. “Then when I hit my first three, I was feeling pretty good.”
The 6-foot-4 senior started with three inside baskets, then three treys from the left corner. It helped the Raiders lead by 15 points early in the second quarter.
“That was a great start,” Lake Roosevelt coach Josh Johnson said. “Garrett was really hot and a new defense we put in for this game was really working. We started switching on their screens and it slowed them down early.”
The Lions adjusted, moving within four points, 38-34 with four minutes left in the third quarter. A trio of inside shots then a trey by Levi Estes closed the gap.
Lake Roosevelt responded as Strocsher hit a pair of inside shots. Rob Shields added a couple of lay ups, one off a steal, to build the Raider lead to 50-36.

LIBERTY BELL (9-12) - Fisher 5, Josh Cotner 14, Estes 8, Kulsrud 8, Lundgren 8, Gardner, Carr, Scott, Friggione, Paluck, Salim, Ellis. Totals 20-48 5-6 47.

LAKE ROOSEVELT (14-7) - Levi Seekins 10, Garrett Strocsher 29, Pakootas, Dan Roberts 10, Morris, Kennedy, Shields 6, Erickson, Oliver 4, Junvik, Breeze 4, Sauer. Totals 28-45 5-13 63.

Liberty Bell	------------	8	24	36	47
Lake Roosevelt	------------	19	32	50	63

Stats: 3-point FG— Liberty Bell 2-8 (Estes), Lake Roosevelt 4-7 (Strocsher 3, Seekins. Turnovers— Liberty Bell 18, Lake Roosevelt 13. Highlights— Seekins (6 asts, 5 rebs), John Pakootas (4 stls).

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Brewster 42, Manson 30
Game 2.
At Chelan, WA

The top seeds won in the semifinals of the North Central District 1A tourney Thursday, but that wasn't the real news.
Lake Roosevelt beat Liberty Bell 63-47 in the opener at the Lake Chelan Community Gym. Then Brewster defeated Manson 42-30 in the second semifinal. The Bears won without star post David Pendergraft, out for the rest of the season with a broken right wrist.
The Caribou Trail League's leading scorer, 24 points a game, suffered the injury early in Monday's practice.
“I fell backwards and put my hand out to break the fall,” Pendergraft said.
He's in a cast for six to eight weeks with a “clean” break of the radium.
“It looked like just a normal play,” Brewster coach Tim Taylor said. “We've dealt with injuries all season. We'll have to again, but this is the toughest.
“David's been our centerpiece all year long,” the coach said. “Not only has he scored points, but his presence allowed his teammates to be open. Now they'll have to adjust to that.”
The second test is against Lake Roosevelt in the 7:30 p.m. Saturday district championship game. Manson faces Liberty Bell in the 6 p.m. loser-out game, both at the community gym.
Manson set the pace, using a ball-control offense to eat up time off the clock.
The Trojans maintained that style throughout the first half, but trailed.
“We've already lost twice by 30 points trying to go toe-to-toe with them,” coach Frank Phelps said. “We had to change the tempo.”
The Bears adjusted to lead by nine at the end of the first quarter thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Ryan Brown and inside shots by Eric Foyle. Brown had a game-high 12 points.
“Thank goodness we took an early lead,” Taylor said. “They showed they were going to stay with that style. We had great patience until the fourth quarter.”
Manson quickened the pace by then. Kevin Medved hit a pair of treys, part of his 11 points, to cut the deficit to 10.
“When we changed our look, the kids responded,” Phelps said. “This is a great experience for our younger kids, playing in district against the No. 1 team in the state.”
Brewster closed out the win with Foyle and Mac Gebbers draining two free throws each.

MANSON (9-12) - Vasquez 2, Kevin Medved 11, Miller 6, Weagant, Rockney 2, Espinoza 4, Cross, Wisdom 5, Madden, Vargas. Totals 12-29 3-3 30.

BREWSTER (21-0) - R. Phillips, Mac Gebbers 10, Ryan Brown 12, Foyle 6, Freels 4, Hobart 5, Evans 2, H. Gebbers 2, Ro. Brown, Rubio, T. Phillips. Totals 14-25 9-10 42.

Manson	------------	2	8	12	30
Brewster	------------	11	19	29	42

Stats: 3-point FG— Manson 3-6 (Medved 2, Wisdom), Brewster 2-7 (Ryan Brown 2). Rebounds— Manson 12 (Espinoza 4), Brewster 18 (Foyle 5). Turnovers— Manson 9, Brewster 8.

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Manson 48, Liberty Bell 47 (OT)
Game 3. (Loser out)
At Chelan, WA

Hitting two late shots kept the Trojans' season alive.
Kevin Medved drained a jumper from the free throw line with eight seconds left to force overtime. Then J.J. Miller's rebound basket with three seconds left created the final margin.
“These guys keep on playing hard,” Manson coach Frank Phelps said. “It's a credit to these kids how they kept going against a much bigger team.”
Liberty Bell led by as many as 10 points in the first half and 43-39 with 1:37 left. Jake Wisdom had a lay up to cut the Lion lead in half. A scoreless Liberty Bell possession followed, setting up Medved's tying shot.
Trevor Rockney led Manson with 12 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
Levi Estes led Liberty Bell with 13 points, including five in the final three minutes to give the Lions a late lead.

MANSON (10-12) - Vazquez 2, Medved 5, Espinoza 5, Nelson 3, Miller 9, Jake Wisdom 10, Warner 2, Trevor Rockney 12.

LIBERTY BELL (9-13) - Fisher 3, Josh Cotner 11, Levi Estes 13, Scott 2, Paluck 2, Lundgren 4, Ellis 8, Gardner, Carr, Kulsrud.

Manson	6	21	30	41	48
Liberty Bell	14	22	34	43	47

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Brewster 45, Lake Roosevelt 32
Game 4. (Championship)
At Chelan, WA

CHELAN — A wounded Bear is still dangerous.
The Brewster boys' basketball team found a way to move on to the state tourney by winning the North Central District 1A title Saturday. The unbeaten Bears, minus their leading scorer due to injury, beat a taller Lake Roosevelt squad 45-32.
Next up is the District 6/7 Regional championship game against Kettle Falls Saturday at Moses Lake High, with the time yet to be announced. The State 1A tourney follows on Feb. 27-March 2 at the Yakima Sun Dome.
Before that, Lake Roosevelt faces surprising Manson in a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday loser-out game at the Lake Chelan Community Gym. Manson beat Liberty Bell 48-47 in overtime to play for the second seed to regionals, the winner facing Freeman in a winner-to-state game Saturday.
The second half decided the championship, as the Bears played sticky defense and found offense to win.
Brewster was playing its second game without David Pendergraft, the Caribou Trail League's top scorer at 24 a game.
The 6-foot-6 sophomore was also a big part of the Bear defense against a team with five players 6-5 or taller. Slowing down Garrett Strocsher, who had 29 points in the semifinal win against Liberty Bell, was the big concern.
Brewster coach Tim Taylor opted to match guard Mac Gebbers, at 5-11 and 160 pounds against the 6-5, 215 Strocsher.
“Mac's our best athlete,” Taylor said. “Then we made sure to give Mac help against Strocsher.”
Gebbers gladly accepted aid from any of his teammates when Strocsher posted him up.
“Oh, he's a stud,” said Gebbers who led a balanced Brewster offense with 10 points. “I kept battling him, trying to keep him from pushing me away.”
It worked. Strocsher had two field goals in the opening six minutes then two scoreless quarters. Lake Roosevelt had just six points during that span, surrendering the lead and falling behind 30-16 to start the fourth quarter.
A 14-2 third quarter put the Bears in control. The Raiders hit just 1 of 9 shots to go along with four turnovers.
“At half, coach told us our defense would win the game,” said senior Griffin Freels. “It did tonight.”
Freels also had half of Brewster's third-quarter points. He sank a pair of layups, a short jumper and a free throw.
Fellow senior Todd Phillips helped close out the game with seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter. Phillips had a driving layup to answer an 8-2 Raider spurt midway through the fourth with Strocsher scoring two of the baskets.
Phillips helped ice the Bears third district championship in four years by hitting 3 of 4 free throws. Brewster converted 8 of 10 from the foul line in the final two minutes.
“Without David, everybody on this team had to step up,” the Bear coach said. “They all did.”
Taylor credited the inside defense of Phillips, Freels, Kieth Hobart and Tyler Evans against the Raiders.
Strocsher led the Raiders with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Levi Seekins pulled down eight rebounds.

LAKE ROOSEVELT (14-8) - Seekins 4, Strocsher 12, Junvik, Roberts 2, Morris 2, Breeze 4, Oliver 6, Shields, Pakootas, Sauer 2. Totals 17-48 0-5 32.

BREWSTER (22-0) - Ry. Phillips 6, Mac Gebbers 10, Ry. Brown 5, Foyle 4, Freels 7 H. Gebbers, Ro. Brown, Hobart, Evans 4, T. Phillips 9. Totals 14-35 14-21 45.

Lake Roosevelt	------------	10	14	16	32
Brewster	------------	7	16	30	45

Stats: 3-point FG— Lake Roosevelt 0-7, Brewster 0-2. Rebounds— Lake Roosevelt 36 (Strocsher 12), Brewster 25 (Ry. Brown, Freels 6). Turnovers— Lake Roosevelt 13, Brewster 16.

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Lake Roosevelt 55, Manson 36
Game 5. (Winner to regionals, loser out)
At Chelan, WA

Levi Seekins pumped in 25 points to go with five steals and four assists for the Raiders, 55-36 winners over Manson. The senior post threw down a two-handed exclamation point at the end of the game.
Garrett Strocsher pulled himself out of a hospital bed, fighting off illness to add nine points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Raider coach Josh Johnson said the seniors had no intention of ending the season this early.
“They told me before the game, their last game wasn't going to be tonight against Manson,” he said.
Johnson added that point guard Levi Morris controlled the floor.
Kevin Medved led Manson with 11 points, and Eric Vasquez added 10.

MANSON (10-13) - Eric Vasquez 10, Vargas, Kevin Medved 11, Espinoza, Nelson, Cross, Miller 7, Weagant, Wisdom, Werner, Madden, Rockne 8.

LAKE ROOSEVELT (15-8) - Kennedy, Shields, Erickson, Levi Seekins 25, Oliver 4, Strocsher 9, Pakootas 4, Junvik 2, Roberts 2, Morris 7, Breeze 1, Sauer 1.

Manson	------------	12	18	31	36
Lake Roosevelt	------------	15	29	38	55

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