Wolverines best Blaine in post-season opener; 46-31 | Boys basketball

Post-season update: On the heels of Wednesday's loss on the road to No.2-seed Kings in the District 1A playoffs, the Wolverines will host South Whidbey in a post-season elimination game, Friday; tip off is 5 p.m. in Turnbull Gym. (click on this story to watch video footage of the Wolverines' Feb. 10 playoff win over Blaine— video by Jeremiah Lord).

One down, one to go.

The Wolverines moved one step closer to earning a berth in the 1A Tri-District tournament with a decisive 46-31 victory at home over Blaine, Monday, in the opening round of post-season play.

Otis-Cooper West scored a game-high 15 points and C.J. Woods tossed in 14 to lead Friday Harbor on the offensive end. Junior Gabe Lawson added 10.

Up 41-19 going into the fourth quarter, the Wolverines held on down the stretch to ice the win, as the Borderites outscored Friday Harbor Harbor 12-5 down the stretch.

“Our offense was a little shaky but the guys had a good defensive game,” Coach Rod Turnbull said.

In a replay of their previous meeting, the Wolverines jumped out to an early advantage, outscoring the Borderites 23-13 in the first two periods for a double-digit at the break. They scored 18 points in the third period, with Copper-West and Lawson combining for 16 points in the quarter, and held Blaine to just six to grab a commanding lead.

With the victory, the Wolverines advanced into the second round of the District 1A playoffs, where the competition promises to get a good degree tougher.

They will square off against Cascade Conference champion Kings High School (13-1 league, 19-2 overall) Wednesday on the Saints home court; tip off is 5 p.m.

Tune in online to Friday Harbor Tiny Radio to hear live broadcast of the game by Friday Harbor’s Bill Revercomb, and Tiny Radio producer and engineer Ken Norris; pre-game coverage begins at 4:30 p.m.

The winners earns a spot in the District championship game and an automatic berth in the Tri-District tournament. The loser will fall into the consolation bracket, needing a win to remain in the playoffs.

— Scott Rasmussen