By Gerardo Bolong

Strong responses when the situations were toughest enabled the Mt. Rainier boys basketball team to outlast persistent Hazen 61-56 in NPSL 4A Cascade Division action in Des Moines on Fri., Dec. 7. The Rams improved their league record to 1-1 while showing a 4-1 overall record. Hazen fell to 0-2 and 2-3, respectively.

"Last year, we would have lost this game," said Ram head coach Brandon Horstman. "Their experience helped. They've been there before. Give credit to Hazen. They kept coming."

Part of the MR experience last season included numerous pressure points, including a strong district tournament. The return of players from last season gives the Ram program a huge opportunity to make a big push this season.

This game featured MRHS forcing fast tempos that built leads of up to 10 points, but the Highlanders from Renton refused to fold, whittling away the Ram margins with deadly three-point shooting and resiliency.

The game sequence that defined the Mt. Rainier effort on this night came after a Michael Gray three-pointer had given Hazen a 36-35 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

With an opportunity to call time out, the Rams, instead, kept playing on to regain control of the game. Amanuel Gebreziabher notched a lay up followed quickly by Yadel Hadego receiving a pass for a lay in. Ricky Bell torched a straight up three-ball and Mt. Rainier led 42-36 on the way to a 42-38 margin heading into the fourth quarter.

"I didn't call time out when Hazen took the lead because we trusted our group," added Horstman.

The Rams never relinquished the advantage from that point, although Hazen battled back to trail only 44-41 early in the fourth quarter before deadly steals pushed the MR lead higher. Bell's corner three-pointer created a 53-44 Ram advantage at the 3:29 mark only to have the Highlander defense create chaos to narrow their deficits to 53-48 and 58-54 until three Gebreziabher free throws offset a finishing Hazen field goal.

Missed free throws by the Rams and three-point goal barrages from Austin Mathews and Michael Gray conspired to keep MRHS from establishing comfortable leads.

Mt. Rainier's 7-0 point surge to end the first quarter with a 12-5 lead that was built up to 15-5 in the early stages of the second quarter set the stage for the pattern of the Rams building good-sized leads before the Highlanders inevitably trimmed the leads down.

Leading 21-11, MR let down and HHS capitalized to trail 21-18, but the Rams ran off to a 27-20 lead at the half.

At times, the Mt. Rainier zone press yielded huge dividends. At other times, Hazen broke the defense down for easy goals or wide open three-point shot attempts.

Hadego's rebound basket with just more than three minutes elapsed time of the second half ballooned the MRHS lead to 31-22 ahead of the Highlander rally that finally gave Hazen the 36-35 lead ahead of game-deciding events.

"We never got the lead pushed out to be comfortable, but I was comfortable with our guys on the floor," concluded Horstman. "We need to continue to improve defensively and turn good shots into better ones. We took a big step forward, tonight, in our defense and rebounding. Being more physical on the rebounding is what we teach."

Hadego closed out the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Grebeziabher delivered an eight-point fourth quarter as part of his 12 points. Kolten Lerwick hustled for 10 caroms. Playing a fine overall game, Bell ignited the Ram defense on eight steals while also downing 10 points, clearing eight rebounds and dealing out eight assists.

Austin Mathews poured in five three-point goals to post 15 Hazen points. Gray scored 14 points to aid the Highlander cause.