Enough of recent history, No. 6 seed Gig Harbor takes care of Class 3A stalwart O'Dea: 3 takeaways

BELLEVUE – The team with the historical success also owned the higher seed to the Class 3A boys basketball regional round Saturday.

In the end, it didn't matter one bit at Bellevue College.

Sixth-seeded Gig Harbor pulled away at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to beat No. 3 seed O'Dea, 61-51, to punch its ticket to the state quarterfinals Thursday in the Tacoma Dome.

It will be the Tides' first trip to the state championships in Tacoma since 2005-06.

"This was important, to show we can play," Gig Harbor guard Christian Parrish said. "They’re such a storied program. Playing O’Dea, this showed we can play."

Parrish led four Tides in double figures with a game-high 16 points.

Here are three takeaways from the Gig Harbor-O'Dea regional-round game:

PICKING UP THE SLACK

Gig Harbor (23-2) needed Parrish and others to score Saturday. The Tides played without 6-foot-6 junior forward Will Landram (ankle), who missed the game after sustaining the injury in the team's district victory over Spanaway Lake.

"I wish I was playing out there," Landram said after the game. "But I’ll be playing on Thursday."

Landram walked without a hint of a limp Saturday, but said his ankle still was "a little colorful."

"He’s just not quite there yet," said Gig Harbor coach Billy Landram, who is also Will's father. "Hopefully, he can get as healthy as possible before next Thursday."

DISTANCE DOES NOT GROW FONDER

The Irish (20-7) did lead this one, albeit briefly.

Mason Williams, who finished with a team-high 12 points, opened the game’s scoring by making a corner 3-pointer just 10 seconds into the contest. The Tides scored the next seven points, but O’Dea clawed back to grab an 8-7 lead on a Russell MacFarlane basket at the 3:37 mark.

It was the last lead of the game for the Irish. The Williams 3-ball also was the only shot O’Dea made from beyond the arc all game.

O’Dea did get things tied up twice in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. 

Antone Araujo tied it at 40-40 with a basket with 6:38 to play. Owen Moriarty made two free throws with 5:45 to go, tying it again at 42-42.

FREE THROW LINE IS KIND

The game turned into a free-throw shooting contest over the final four minutes. Starting with Moriarty’s two converted shots, the Tides made 13 of their next 15 from the stripe to pull away for the 10-point victory.

Overall, Gig Harbor shot 22 times from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, led by Luke Browne. The junior made all 10 of his attempts from the stripe in the quarter, finishing with 15 points.

"We work really hard on them," Browne said. "And I want to be the one taking them at the end."

Asher Raquiza added 15 points and Ryan Pickles had 12 to round out the four Tides in double figures.