Second-ranked Auburn stamps berth to Class 3A boys basketball tournament with 78-66 victory over No. 6 Gig Harbor

AUBURN - Ryan Hansen is OK with it not always being pretty, free-flowing basketball.

But this level of unpleasant was beyond words.

Fortunately, it was his No. 2 Auburn Trojans that survived a back-and-forth, stop-and-start 78-66 victory Saturday over sixth-ranked Gig Harbor in a winner-to-regionals Class 3A West Central/Southwest District game.

Off a multi-week absence, senior Maleek Arington led the Trojans with 19 points, eight coming in the decisive fourth quarter. Tre Blassingame added 15 points, and Dae'Kwon Watson chipped in with 14.

Asher Raquiza led all scorers with 20 points for the Tides, including five of the team's seven 3-pointers.

Because Auburn is ranked so high in the WIAA's RPI system - the Trojans are No. 2 behind Garfield - the 3A NPSL champions all sewed up a spot in the state tournament in the Tacoma Dome in March.

"Going back, it means a lot and feels great," Arington said. "We'll look to get that championship."

But this was a game Saturday directly out of the odd-and-ugly manual - with nearly 50 personal fouls (and two technical fouls) called, and both teams shooting a combined 57 free throws.

"I don't know," said Hansen with a slight shake of the head. "It's a hard game to describe."

At one point in the second half, Gig Harbor played four starters with four fouls apiece.

"We hung in there pretty well," Tides coach Billy Landram said. "But when you are playing that caliber of a team, you want your guys playing minutes."

And as often as Auburn threatened to break out to a multi-possession lead, the Tides would answer with a big shot - usually a 3-pointer.

"Credit Gig Harbor for not letting us get into a rhythm," Hansen said. "I felt like we never did."

Hansen was just relieved he had Arington in tow, even surviving a scare at the end of the first half.

With more than a minute to go, when play stopped, so did Arington. He barely could move, and glanced down to the knee that had kept him out much of the past six weeks.

He limped to the bench. Nobody knew how to react.

"I was like, 'Oh, God,'" Hansen said.

At halftime, Arington said he was fine. He had just banged his knee against another player, and it hurt for a few seconds.

But still, it's been a constant worry.

"Mentally, it’s been tough." Arington said. "I’ve never sat this many games in my life. I just had to be there for my teammates and heal myself, rest myself so I can be back out here for these big games.

"I felt great. I made some shots, and I felt great."

With the Trojans clinging to a 58-55 with 51/2 minutes to go, they finally found a spurt - a 12-0 run - to seize control. Arington had half of the team's points during it.

"We don't win that game without Maleek," Hansen said.

(Featured file photo by Vince Miller)