Braves beat Friday Harbor in playoff

Funny the difference a couple days makes.

With their season in the balance, the La Conner Braves rebounded Saturday to defeat Friday Harbor 48-38 at Coupeville to advance to a Northwest 2B District Tournament date with Auburn Adventist last night.

With the win, the team extended its season while avenging a tough 66-41 loss to Friday Harbor earlier in the week.

Senior Miles Sydzik had 12 points to lead the resurgent Braves, who knocked down eight three-pointers while improving to 6-12 overall, including two wins in three games against Friday Harbor this year.

“It was a nice turnaround after losing by 25 points to them earlier in the week,” head coach C.J. Woods told the Weekly News.

Sydzik paced a balanced attack that benefited from precise passing on offense and improved communication at the defensive end.

“We were getting the right looks,” said Woods. “We had a healthy balance of inside and outside offense as well as getting multiple people to score.”

Woods appreciated his club’s intensity throughout.

“Together, effort and execution are what makes playoff teams,” said Woods, a Friday Harbor alum. “We did that tonight and it showed.”

His players commitment to execution showed in the extra pass to find hot shooters. It also led to fewer turnovers, for more productive possessions.

When shots didn’t fall, the Braves were proficient at drawing fouls. All told, they earned 15 charity tosses, a key factor in the outcome.

La Conner’s opponent last night, Auburn Adventist, entered Tuesday’s action at Coupeville with a 9-7 record. The Falcons were 6-4 in SeaTac 2B/1B play this season.