Garfield Avenges Loss, Advances To State Championship Game

By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium

In a highly anticipated rematch from last year’s 3A state playoffs quarterfinal matchup, the Garfield Bulldogs and the Auburn Trojans faced off, this time with a trip to the championship game on the line. Last year, Auburn won 64-60 in an overtime thriller on their way to winning the state title.

The Bulldogs, the number two seed in the playoffs, entered this year’s matchup not only looking to avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss but also to complete their unfinished business as the hands-on favorites to win the state championship last season.

Auburn, the reigning 3A champions, played short-handed due to Jaylen Petty suffering an injury during their game with Eastside Catholic in the quarterfinal round. The Trojans persevered with a 45-42 victory in the closing seconds. Now meeting Garfield for the second year straight, each team looked to earn a championship appearance with the Fighting Irish of O’Dea on Saturday.

The Trojans jumped out to an early 10-1 lead as Lateibreon Chandler scored eight points by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers and getting a layup off a backdoor cut, forcing the Bulldogs to call an early timeout.

After the timeout, Garfield began their comeback as they entered the second quarter down 15-7. Coming off the bench, Sherrell McCullum Jr. got things going for Garfield as he scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds, and blocked a shot to provide a spark for his teammates.

Jaylin Stewart also played a huge role in the Bulldogs’ second-quarter resurgence as his rebounding and ability to run the offense helped Garfield get back into the game. With Legend Smiley sitting on the bench after picking up his third foul, Jamari Jackson-Kinz checked into the game and filled the scoring absence left by Smiley.

Now with the Bulldogs rolling, Auburn responded in the closing minutes of the first half as Luvens Valcin stole a pass and drew a charge on the defensive end, finding Tyrell Nichols for a three-pointer.

Trailing 27-26 with 10 seconds left in the half, Nichols hit a three-point shot as time expired to give the Trojans a two-point halftime lead.

Returning to the lineup in the second half, Smiley erupted offensively as he scored 11 third-quarter points in a variety of ways. The sophomore shooting guard made back-to-back three-pointers, an ‘and-one’ floater, and made both of his free throw attempts as he provided a masterclass on individual scoring.

Rallying behind Smiley’s individual efforts, the Bulldogs dominated on both sides of the ball. Defensively, Garfield began forcing turnovers and making Auburn shoot some very difficult contested shots, heading into the fourth quarter leading 46-41.

In the fourth quarter, Garfield’s Emmett Marquardt made some key plays down the stretch. Marquardt’s offensive rebounds gave his team second-chance opportunities, he made a three-point shot, and slammed home a two-hand dunk on a fastbreak.

Garfield’s fan base grew louder and louder as Stewart put the game out of reach with a wide-open layup, and as the final buzzer sounded, Garfield had avenged last season’s loss with a 61-50 win over Auburn.

With the win, the Bulldogs advanced to the championship game, where they will play O’Dea, as the two teams will meet for the fourth and final time this year.

Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Auburn

Staff Photos/Aaron Allen

Box Score

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