Garfield girls survive frantic finish, beats Lake Washington for back-to-back 3A titles

TACOMA, Wash. — Marvin Hall blacked out for a few moments. 

The final shot for Lake Washington at the buzzer hit off the top of the backboard and the moment hit the Garfield High School girls basketball coach. He immediately thought of his father, who a year ago died of COVID. 

"I blacked out and then I just started crying," Hall said. "I couldn't control myself. 

"I had dedicated this season to my dad, so it was emotional. It's just been a tough year for me as a coach and I wasn't even sure I was going to coach this year because I was mentally just out of it. But I didn't want to let the kids down." 

Hall said it was remembering his father's words that led him to return to Garfield's coach seat to start the season. 

He got to end it watching his team cap an undefeated season, 21-0, as No. 2 Garfield rallied late on a 39-38 victory over No. 4 Lake Washington to make it back-to-back state titles. 

Garfield also beat Lake Washington for the 2020 title, the last time the WIAA had a postseason tournament. 

Malia Samuels, Garfield's star junior point guard, was playing as a freshman at Eastside Catholic that 2020 season and her team lost to Lake Washington in the Tacoma Dome. 

"It's really one of the best feelings in the world," Samuels said. "To go through that and not have last year to get my revenge and now we get to play them in the state championship — it's awesome. I remember the feeling, sitting in the locker room, crying my eyes out, and this time it's different tears — happy tears instead of sad tears. It's awesome." 

And what a finish this was. 

Samuels wrestled the ball away from Lake Washington near halfcourt with just over two minutes remaining. She then bulled her way to the basket, going behind the back to get by a defender and finishing a scintillating layup to cut Lake Washington's lead to 38-37. 

That was just after Katie Fiso's layup ended what was a 11-0 fourth-quarter run for the Kangaroos, who had played most the entire game without its two seniors leaders, University of Idaho signee Rosa Smith and University of Washington volleyball signee Elise Hani due to foul trouble. 

But after Samuels' bucket, Lake Washington's Rae Butler Wu, who scored a game-high 16 points, missed a shot, and Garfield's Imbie Jones, a 6-foot-2 junior, followed with the go-ahead bucket with just under a minute left. 

Then the frantic finish. 

Smith opened up a look for herself off a screen, but it missed from the top of the key. Lake Washington then corralled a loose ball on Garfield's ensuing possession to give itself a chance for a go-ahead score in the final seconds. 

Instead of calling timeout, Lake Washington coach Jeff Wilson elected to let his team run in transition. But Garfield forced the ball out of the hands of Smith and into Butler Wu's hands on the right wing. 

Her rushed shot just before the horn hit the top of the backboard as time expired and Garfield held on for the win. 

"In the Snohomish game we were in a similar situation and Rosa got in an isolated situation," Wilson said of why they decided not to call a timeout to draw up a play at the end. "I was thinking she could break free, but Garfield did a good job of doubling her. 

"Then when Rae caught the ball, I could have called a timeout, but Rae had hit so many of those tonight." 

But just the fact that Lake Washington even had a chance at the end was surprising considering the brutal foul trouble it found itself in. 

Hani picked up her third foul less than a minute into the second quarter, which sent her to the bench. Shortly afterward, Smith picked up her fourth foul of the first half, just as Wilson was trying to sub her out of the game. 

That was after Lake Washington had been leading throughout the first quarter and into the second. Garfield took advantage, getting the ball inside to Jones without the 6-foot-4 Hani in to protect the rim like she did so well in Lake Washington's upset victory over No. 1 Mead in the semifinals. 

"Obviously, Elise and Rosa are the engines behind what we do," Wilson said. "I'm really proud of the rest of the girls for fighting and keeping us in the game in that situations. They kept us close and battled and fought." 

Garfield had a 33-27 lead entering the fourth quarter before Hani and Smith were back on the court together. The Kangs proceeded to pounce for an 11-0 run. 

But much like Samuels did against Arlington in Garfield's semifinal win, her energy and leadership turned the tide back into Garfield's favor. 

"She's a firecracker," Hall said of Samuels, who had 15 points with five rebounds. "She's like a little Mike Tyson. She just keeps fighting and fighting." 

Said Samuels: "I'm just off the walls right now. I'm so excited. So excited I got to do it with this team. We're like sisters, so this is the best feeling ever." 

She said it was all the more sweet considering they felt slighted they got the No. 2 seed instead of the top seed into the 3A tournament. 

And Hall said his team had to fend off criticism and hate for the program. 

"People literally hate them," Hall said. "They've gone through so much. If people knew the adversity they've gone through and the things that have been said to them from adults ... how can adults do that to kids? 

"My first year I had some edgy girls. but this group of girls, they are the nicest girls. They get great grades, they're sweet, loving kids. I can't believe they're so hated." 

That's a big reason why Hall said he decided to come back to coaching this year even amid the death of his father, Willie C. Hall, who was 72. Marvin Hall is the worship pastor at Northwest Life Church in Renton and he said he felt called to continue to be a positive influence for kids. 

"My dad always said, 'You have to take care of the kids. Have to take care of the kids,'" Hall said. "So I just kept saying to myself, 'Marvin, you have to get up out of this. You have to get up out of this and take care of the kids.

"So for this to happen and with my family here and my mom and the pastor of my church who has been praying for me, it's just incredibly special."