Mules place third in state tournament

The Wahkiakum Mule boys basketball team capped off their rollercoaster season with a third place finish at last week’s state tournament in Spokane, ending the year on a high note.

The Mules reached the semifinals after a gritty 62-49 win over Winlock in the fifth meeting between the teams this season. Eager to put their struggles against Winlock behind them, the Mules hoped to jump on the Cardinals early and finish them off with ease. That proved to be too much to ask for though, as it was Winlock that got off to a hot start, putting the Mules into a 16-6 hole six minutes into the game.

The Mules managed to narrow the deficit to 16-10 at the end of the first quarter, and by halftime Winlock was clinging to just a two point lead, 22-20. After the break, the Mules kicked it into gear, amassing a 22-3 run that all but did in the Cardinals, taking a 42-29 lead into the fourth.

Despite a valiant fourth-quarter effort from Winlock, the Mules countered every Cardinal point with one of their own, keeping the lead at 13 until the final buzzer sounded.

Peter Weiler led the Mules with 21 points, with Shane Souvenir adding 13 and Eli McElroy 12. Lars Blix chipped in nine, Seth Doumit six, and Travis Wegdahl one.

McElroy also pulled in 11 rebounds and recorded four blocks to lead the Mules in both categories. Souvenir grabbed eight boards and blocked three shots.

In the semifinals, the Mules faced off against the defending state champions, the Colfax Bulldogs, led by senior standout and future Montana Grizzly, Brandon Gfeller.

From the opening tip, the Mules seemed unfazed by their east-side opposition, racing out to a 9-0 lead after a trio of Mule three-pointers.

While the Bulldogs clawed their way back into the game, the Mules maintained a 14-8 lead after one quarter and stretched it out to 26-18 at the break.

And that’s when everything fell apart for the Mules. Colfax came out in the second half and proceeded to bury the Mules, outscoring them 35-11, dashing any hopes of a title game appearance for the Mules.

Weiler was the leading scorer for the Mules with 13 points, followed by Blix with 10, Seth Doumit nine, Austin Good three, and McElroy two.

McElroy grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and recorded four more blocked shots.

On Saturday morning, the Mules took on the Lind-Ritzville-Sprague Broncos in the third-/fifth-place game. The Broncos had the early advantage, leading 11-9 after one quarter, but the Mules caught fire in the second and outscored the Broncos 23-14 to take a 32-25 lead into the half.

The second half was a near draw, with the Mules taking the slight edge 30-29, and the third place trophy behind a 62-54 victory over the Broncos.

Blix paced the Mules with 22 points, with McElroy adding 13, Weiler 10, Seth and Steven Doumit six apiece and Souvenir five.

Weiler corralled a game-high nine rebounds while McElroy was right behind him with eight. McElroy also collected another four blocks, giving him 12 for the tournament.

The game was the last for Mule seniors Blix, Weiler, McElroy, Steven Doumit and Dallas Peacock.