Men's Basketball: Huge matchup looms at Whatcom Wednesday

LYNNWOOD -- The end of the NWAC North Region men’s basketball slate is near, and with it, a tight race for playoff berths has ensued. Edmonds gave Everett all they could handle on Saturday, but in the end couldn’t stop the Trojans from winning their 10^th straight game. Seaview Gym saw a highly contested game, and a large contingent on hand to support both teams as well as honor nine Triton sophomores who were playing in their final home game. 

Zach Walton netted a game-high 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and had 5 assists, and 2 steals. Loren LaCasse also registered a double double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and point guard Raven Frazier scored a season-high 20 points for the Tritons. Edmonds led for much of the contest, but fell 100-93. Walton’s 20.4 points per game is ninth-best in the NWAC, and his 9 rebounds per game are sixth-best in the league overall.

The Edmonds CC men’s hoops team now travels to Bellingham on Wednesday, February 21 to clash with Whatcom for what could be the game that decides the final spot to Everett for the NWAC Championship Tournament. Whatcom defeated the Tritons in an earlier face-off this season on January 24 in Seaview Gym. The Orcas pulled away late in the game, topping Edmonds 93-88. Both squads are 5-6 in the standings -- the winner of Wednesday’s game can take control of their own destiny in the final two games of the season. With a loss, Edmonds risks losing the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Orcas. 

Sophomore Rotash Mattu

Whatcom’s Trazil Lane and Alex Martin each notched 20-point games against Edmonds in the first meeting, but it may have been the bench production of Tevin Bayne (16 points) and Donavan Sellgren (12 points) that did the Tritons in. Edmonds won the battle of the boards 46-38 in the first matchup, but only shot 37.7% from the field compared to Whatcom’s 45.9%. The Orcas also took advantage of better free throw shooting in that contest even though the Tritons had seven more attempts.

It is no secret that sophomore Zach Walton makes the Tritons go, but the recent play of big man Rotash Mattu has given the team a boost on the defensive end of the floor. In Wednesday’s road victory over Shoreline, Mattu blocked 4 shots in addition to scoring 8 points and collecting 11 rebounds. Against Everett, Mattu grabbed 9 rebounds and swatted 6 more shots. Another key factor for success will ride on the sharp shooting of Jake Higgins and Tyler Morris. Both specialize in launching the three ball, and both will be counted on down the stretch to hit that shot when it is presented to them.

Whatcom is also coming off a tough Saturday loss after dropping a double overtime thriller to Olympic, 113-112. Alex Martin scored 39 points in a losing effort. The rest of the NWAC North schedule on Wednesday: Olympic at Everett; Peninsula at Skagit, and Shoreline at Bellevue. The Tritons Wednesday showdown at Whatcom tips off at 7:00 p.m. The game will be live-streamed here.