By Todd Milles

Even when most people scattered out into night, the meaning from the nightcap was clear: Don’t sleep on the Lakeside of Seattle Lions in the Class 3A boys basketball tournament.

From pretty much start to finish, the No. 4 Lions controlled the action – and pulled away in the second quarter for a 69-48 victory over University in the 3A quarterfinals in the Tacoma Dome on Thursday night.

Lakeside is in the state semifinals for the first time since 1989 – the year the Lions went all the way to the championship game, losing to Chief Sealth in overtime, 61-57.

But who’s been paying attention outside Seattle?

“We haven’t been to state for 22 years,” Lakeside coach Tavio Hobson, “so this group has had to create an identity for itself.”

The Lions had a 19-13 lead early in the second quarter before taking off on a 15-0 run – capped by one of Matthew Polawski’s three first-half 3-pointers for a 34-13 Lakeside lead.

In that same span, the Titans were held scoreless for 5:35.

Peter French, the Lions’ 7-footer, led four players in double figures scoring with 18 points.