The sixth-seeded Mountlake Terrace Hawks (18-6) are scheduled to play the 13th-seeded North Thurston Rams (18-8) at the Tacoma Dome at 3:45 p.m. March 1 in a do-or-die moment for the Hawks’ hopes of placing in the WIAA 3A state basketball tournament.
The Hawks finished 6th in the state last year.
The Hawks played their first game in the 2023 3A state basketball tournament against the third-seeded Eastside Catholic Crusaders (19-8) at Saturday, Feb. 26 at Bellevue College. After keeping mostly even throughout the match, the game almost seemed won as the Crusaders led by 10 points with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Hawks, however, would not go down without a fight. In a valiant effort, the Hawks clawed up eight points and gained possession with seconds left on the clock but could not get off a game-winning shot, losing 54-52. Still, the Hawks held the Crusaders scoreless for nearly half of the final quarter.
Now with a loser-out game scheduled against the Rams, the Hawks will have to give it their all on Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome. Two buses of Rowdy Rooters are currently scheduled to make the trek south to the Dome to help cheer on the team in its second straight trip to Tacoma.
At the District 1 3A tournament, the Hawks annihilated the competition, not only punching a ticket to state but earning their second straight crown as district champions. In fact, they won every game by 10 points or more averaging a winning margin of 16 points per game. The Hawks averaged 62 points per game while holding their opponents to just 46.
Much of the Hawks’ success can be attributed to their stingy defense; in their final district game, the Arlington Eagles (19-5), which normally score in the 60s, were kept to just 34 points compared to the Hawks’ 57. Combined with consistent scorers Jaxon Dubiel and Zaveon Jones, the Hawks prove formidable on the court.
The Hawks ended the regular season in typical fashion with a strong 15-5 record despite having one of the most difficult schedules in the state, which included out-of-district teams like the Mark Morris Monarchs (23-2), the King’s Knights (17-6), the Lynden Lions (21-4), and the Lynden Christian Lyncs (23-2). In fact, the Hawks lost to a WesCo team just twice: to the Marysville Getchell Chargers (16-9) back in December and a 4-point loss to the 16th-seeded Shorecrest Scots, who also play on Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome.
