Fast start powers Gonzaga Prep to win over Mariner in WIAA Class 4A boys basketball tournament

TACOMA – Makai Bloomfield did his best to shoot Mariner back into its round-of-12 Class 4A state boys basketball game against Gonzaga Prep on Wednesday afternoon.

But the Bullpups had the answers as Gonzaga Prep built a comfortable double-digit lead late in the first half then matched Bloomfield and the Marauders over the final 16 minutes of its 79-69 victory. The Bullpups thus earned a quarterfinal berth against third-seeded Olympia at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday.

“We worked our tail off this whole year to get to this spot,” Gonzaga Prep senior Henry Sandberg said. “Come out and play good defense, shoot the ball when we’re open.”

Sandberg led a balanced offensive attack for the Bullpups with 19 points. Ryan Jackson added 16, Jayce Swanson 15 and Jamil Miller 13 (to go with 10 rebounds).

On the other side, Bloomfield made six 3-pointers and nine of 19 shots overall, and finished with a game-high 27 points for the Marauders.