There will be a new Class 2A boys basketball state champion this season after unranked Lindbergh toppled defending champion Clover Park 56-51 Thursday in state quarterfinals at the Yakima SunDome.
Behind an all-out effort from senior guard Jimmy Keum — he scored a game-high 33 points, just two off his career high of 35 — the Eagles are in the state semifinals and will face Ellensburg at 9 p.m. Friday.
The loss puts Clover Park (21-6) out of title contention, but a win Friday at 2 p.m. over Ellensburg guarantees the Warriors another state trophy.
“We just didn’t come out ready,” Clover Park coach Mel Ninnis said after the loss. “The difference between (last) Friday (in a 71-55 regional win over Mark Morris) and Thursday is astronomical.”
It’s been a whirlwind week for Lindbergh (16-12). The team entered the tournament on a high, upsetting Squalicum in double-overtime in its regional to reach the quarterfinals. At one point this season, the team lost five straight games and eight of 10 in January.
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