Pirates Prevail

Marquis-to-Carter connection caps Davis comeback ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — There was, believe it or not, a bit of disagreement in Davis’ jubilant locker room Saturday night regarding whether it is better to give than receive.

“I think the dish (assist) is best,” said Jackson Marquis. “You get your teammates involved on a play like that, and it becomes more of a team effort.”

To which James Carter countered, “Are you kidding me? To score the winning basket against your rival? That’s got to be best. It was for me tonight. I’m still jittery.”

As was just about everyone else involved with the Pirates’ pulsating, come-from-behind 66-65 defeat of Eisenhower in a first-round CBBN District game in a packed Davis Gym.

Davis' James Carter celebrates after his game-winning shot against Eisenhower in their District playoff game Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. Davis won 66-65. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

The victory, the second in three tries this season against the Cadets, boosted the Columbia Division-champion Pirates (17-4) into a Tuesday night semifinal at home against Richland. Ike (15-6) must travel, also Tuesday, to Wenatchee for a loser-out game.

“That,” said Davis coach Eli Juarez, “was a great high school basketball game. I’ve been around a long time, and to have our kids come back like that, it probably took that last little bit of scratching and fighting to make the difference.”

Along with a made-for-SportsCenter play by Marquis and Carter — one which capped a 20-10 fourth quarter for the Pirates who had trailed 47-36 midway through the third.

After Marquis made one of two free throws to snap a 63-all tie with 21.3 seconds to play, Eisenhower’s James Lopez was fouled with 7.9 to play. In the double bonus, the senior guard converted both for a 65-64 Ike edge.

Davis hustled the ball past midcourt, then called time with 4.9 ticks left. Juarez’s first and most obvious option, David Trimble, had fouled out with 1:14 to play after totaling 24 points and eight rebounds.

“We just ran a little curl with Jackson,” the Davis coach said, “and wanted him to go to the basket.”

Marquis took Cooper Kupp’s inbounds pass and sped to his left. And when Ike’s interior defenders converged, he deftly deferred to the sure-handed Carter, a 6-foot senior who scored from point-blank range just before the buzzer sent a horde of celebratory fans onto the court.

“It was a great pass,” said Carter, who had 18 points and 10 boards. “I almost dropped it.”

Eisenhower, which got 18 points from Lopez, 17 from Robert Bonser and 15 points and 13 rebounds from Ryan Watson, led 55-46 through three quarters.

But two quick Carter buckets ignited the Pirates’ final-period push, and Kupp’s fast-break layup at 3:30 gave them their first lead, 60-59, since the early going.

Ike, which finished fourth in the Cascade Division, had rebounded from an early 58-51 loss at Davis to roll 82-57 on its homecourt. The Dec. 12 loss had snapped a nine-game Cadets winning streak in the series.

“Credit to Davis,” said Ike coach Pat Fitterer. “Their kids played hard — they were the aggressors — and their student section was great. But we made too many turnovers (21) and didn’t play enough defense.”