Braves boys rebound from Coupeville loss to secure regional berth

Home sweet home.

That time-honored phrase perfectly served the La Conner Braves well at last week’s Northwest 2B bi-district basketball tournament where they sandwiched triumphs on their home floor over Northwest Christian of Lacey and Auburn Adventist Academy around a tough loss to league rival Coupeville on the Wolves’ court.

The 68-57 win over Auburn Adventist last Saturday secured for La Conner (16-7) a berth in the regional round of the state playoffs.

Junior guard Brayden Pedroza, who had erupted for 43 points in the Braves’ 74-29 bi-district opener against NWC, tallied 26 to lead La Conner past Auburn Adventist.

The game was played at a frenetic pace, which first-year coach Lance Lopez said afterward was to his club’s advantage.

“That’s the way we like it,” he said of the team’s embrace of up-tempo basketball. “That’s what we do.”

Playing before a large and enthusiastic crowd at Landy James Gym, La Conner was able to offset Auburn Adventist’s inside-outside combo of guard Gabe Delgadillo and post Jonathan Russell.

Delgadillo scored 22 points, including five of eight free throws. Russell worked inside for 14 points, six coming in the fourth quarter.

But with the game on the line and La Conner leading just 32-31 early in the third period, the hosts responded with a decisive 19-12 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Jimbo Bobb and Pedroza.

The spurt was ignited by point guard C.J. Edwards stretching the margin to 38-33 on successive three-point plays. Edwards was fouled hitting a layup off a deft feed from Pedroza, then meshed the free throw. Moments later he knocked down a jumper from behind the trey arc.

Auburn Adventist closed to within 45-41 before Bobb and Pedroza struck from long range and gave the Braves a comfortable eight-point lead entering the final stanza.

Junior forward Tyler Cicotte provided an early boost, working the boards hard, and finished with a season-high 13 points, all but three in the first quarter. He hit a pair of perimeter treys as the Braves built an 18-12 edge.

Senior guard Ivory Damien shook off first half foul trouble to join Pedroza and Cicotte in double-figure scoring, meshing 14 points, 10 after intermission.

Edwards (6), Corran Eisen (5), Bobb (3) and senior Alfonso Sampson (1) rounded out the attack.

Sampson’s charity toss in the waning moments was met with loud cheering and applause from the student section.

The mood had been much more subdued three days earlier in Coupeville, where, as a higher seed La Conner was nominally the home team. But the Braves were assigned the visitor’s bench, Coupeville was awarded the home scorebook role and the Wolves were allowed the ceremonial honor of cutting down nets after their 60-46 victory – an opportunity not extended to the La Conner girls’ team when it won the title at Coupeville on its side of the bi-district bracket.

The Wolves blitzed La Conner and energized Coupeville fans with a sizzling start, bolting to a 9-0 lead in the game’s first 90 seconds before Edwards briefly stopped the bleeding with a long three-ball.

The Wolves answered with a crushing 18-2 deluge enroute to an insurmountable 40-14 halftime advantage.

Coupeville’s height gave La Conner fits. The hosts contested shots and closed off passing lanes throughout.

The Braves rallied in the late going with freshman Kaleb Otis’ three-pointer ahead of the final buzzer narrowing Coupeville’s winning margin to 14 points.

Pedroza (14), Damien (10) and Eisen (10) landed in double figures for La Conner.

Wolves scoring leader Logan Downes, who has topped the 500-point mark this season, led all players on Valentine’s Day with 29 points – his performance marked by a lethal barrage of four first half three-pointers.