Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

Union and King’s Way Christian boys basketball teams celebrate another journey to the Tacoma Dome and the Yakima Valley SunDome

This was supposed to be the year that they stayed home.

No need to book a trip to the dome.

Not this year.

Not for these teams.

Only, someone forgot to tell the players, the coaches, that there would be no need to secure a hotel room in March.

Because the Union Titans are going to the Tacoma Dome. Again.

And the King’s Way Christian Knights are going to the Yakima Valley SunDome. Again.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

The boys basketball programs from the two schools played elimination games Saturday in Battle Ground as part of the WIAA’s opening round of the state tournament. Some call them state regional games. They do count as state tournament matchups, but there is something special about making it to the dome.

For the eighth consecutive Class 4A tournament, the Union boys are going to Tacoma. 

And for the eighth consecutive 1A tournament, the King’s Way Christian boys are going to Yakima.

They were the only winners from Clark County throughout the state on Saturday, and they will join three other teams that made it to the domes: The Camas boys won on Friday to advance, and the Camas girls also won on Friday, although they had already qualified for Tacoma. Also on Friday, the Seton Catholic boys won a road regional game to make it to Yakima.

Saturday, though, was for the Knights and Titans.

King’s Way Christian lost some quality players over the last couple of years, either by moving to another school or graduation. These Knights still believed, though.

“Underdog team,” Gio Evanson said after helping the Knights beat La Salle on Saturday morning. “After everyone left, it was kind of a rebuild year, but we’re still winning games, and we’re still going to Yakima.”

A couple hours later, the Titans were celebrating on the floor after topping Sumner.

“We’re going to the dome again,” Union coach Blake Conley said.

Indeed.

Here is how Saturday’s games featuring Clark County teams ended up, and a quick glance at what’s next for the five remaining teams:

King’s Way Christian 59, La Salle 44

Class 1A elimination game

The final score makes it look like an easy victory for the Knights. 

Nope.

La Salle had a five-point lead with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter.

Then Jaydon Hall happened.

Hall completed a traditional three-point play, then connected on a 3-pointer. That was followed up by a Jamison Duke three-point play, giving the Knights a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Knights then scored the first 10 points of the final quarter for a 19-0 run.

Game over.

“Our defense really pushed us into that run,” Hall said. “I was feeling it, so I had to shoot it, but we all had a great night tonight.”

Hall had a huge game in the district tournament, as well. Evanson, the team’s leading scorer, has enjoyed seeing Hall step into a bigger scoring role.

“I told him to keep being aggressive,” Evanson said. “Jaydon showed up big.”

Hall finished with a team-high 23 points. Evanson ended up with 18.

“I just try to do my part,” Hall said. “Share the ball, and score if I have to. That’s really it. That’s my job, do whatever I can to get this team to Yakima.”

Union 60, Sumner 47

Class 4A elimination game

Yanni Fassilis.

Wow.

Just … wow.

Fassilis pretty much dared the Rams to try to stop him.

They rarely did.

Fassilis tied a program record, scoring 41 points to lead the Titans to the Tacoma Dome.

“That’s a lot of points,” Fassilis said moments after the game. “I was just focused on getting the win.”

Oh, he got the record and he got the win.

“The kid does it all for us. He leads us in every single category,” Conley said. “He’s special. Today, he kind of put us on his back.”

At one point, Fassilis had 33 of Union’s 39 points. He had dunks. He had step-back 3-pointers. He had a blocked shot on one defensive possession, and when the Rams got the rebound, he forced a jump ball just seconds later.

Interestingly enough, his best play of the game might have been an assist.

With all of his big plays throughout the day, Sumner was hanging around, never really going away in this elimination game.

With a minute to go in the third quarter, Fassilis drove the lane. The defense collapsed around him, so he passed it out to Evan Manville, who swished a 3-pointer. While Union led the whole game, the Titans had never made it a double-digit lead … until that shot.

It wasn’t necessarily a dagger, but it was some breathing room against a team that was competing. The Spartans made it a six-point game in the fourth quarter, but the Titans always had an answer in winning their 12th consecutive game.

Union started the 4A Greater St. Helens League season with back-to-back losses. The Titans also lost talent to graduation a year ago. There were question marks.

But they started to own the fourth quarter, and here they are, going to Tacoma. Again.

“Over this last 12-game stretch, we got used to playing in some close games,” Fassilis said, noting this was Union’s third elimination game. “We were ready for the pressure. I’m excited to see how it carries over to the Tacoma Dome.”

Also Saturday …

In 2A boys, Ridgefield’s ride to the state tournament came to an end with a 49-33 loss to Enumclaw. Ridgefield finished the season 13-10 and earned the program’s first trip to state since 2012.

In 2A girls, Columbia River’s season came to an end in the Sweet 16 with a 58-47 loss to Enumclaw. The Rapids finished the season 17-5 and won the 2A Greater St. Helens League. The Rapids also made their first trip to state since 2016.

In 1A girls, Seton Catholic fell to Seattle Academy 56-49. The Cougars finished 20-4 — a program record for wins in a season — and shared a Trico League title. This was Seton’s first trip to state in program history.

In 1B boys, Columbia Adventist fell to Mossyrock 59-45. Columbia Adventist finished 15-9 and made its first trip to state since 2016.

Next for the five teams playing in domes

Class 4A Girls

No. 2 Camas has advanced directly to the state quarterfinals and will play at 9 p.m. Thursday in the Tacoma Dome. Camas will face the winner of No. 9 Richland vs. No. 1 Woodinville. Wait, what? Yes, No. 1 Woodinville. The Falcons were upset in the regional seeding round, meaning that it is possible No. 1 and No. 2 will face off against each other in the quarterfinals. 

Class 4A Boys

No. 10 Camas vs. No. 7 Tahoma, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome. This is an elimination game in the round of 12. The winner advances to the quarterfinals. The loser is out. Note: This is Camas’ first trip to the Tacoma Dome in program history. The team reached the state regionals in 2015 but did not advance. The last time the program was in state was in the 1960s, decades before the Tacoma Dome became the home of the final week of state.

No. 9 Union vs. No. 8 Richland, 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome. This is an elimination game in the round of 12. The winner advances to the quarterfinals. The loser is out. 

Class 1A Boys

No. 14 Seton Catholic vs. No. 6 Toppenish, 3:45 p.m. Wednesday in the Yakima Valley SunDome. This is an elimination game in the round of 12. The winner advances to the quarterfinals. The loser is out. 

Note: Seton Catholic stunned Seattle Christian in the regionals on Friday. It is the first trip to the SunDome for the program, which lost in regional elimination games in 2019 and 2020.

No. 12 King’s Way Christian vs. No. 5 King’s, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Yakima Valley SunDome. This is an elimination game in the round of 12. The winner advances to the quarterfinals. The loser is out.