黑料福利社

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Now that was more ... Zillah.

Some 16 hours after an infamous Class 1A state semifinal performance, the Leopards again showed their spots. They hadn't tried to reinvent themselves, but did in fact rediscover themselves.

And the result Saturday was as an emphatic 75-55 defeat of third-ranked Vashon Island that was as gratifying to Zillah as it was impressive to those who watched it.

"I told the guys last night," coach Doug Burge said outside his team's locker room in the SunDome, "that they'd better have a short memory. You go from a 7:15 start tonight to a 1 o'clock start tomorrow."

Easier said than done, of course, given that the Leopards had -- well, short-circuited Friday night in a one-sided loss to Lynden Christian.

"I didn't sleep at all," said Justin Dunsmore, Zillah's lone senior, who robustly atoned for a sub-par Friday performance with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. "All I could think about was I didn't want to go out like that."

Nor did Burge or the rest of the Leopards, who used their own well-documented history to add luster to the third-place trophy they won Saturday.

This was a program, after all, that had gone 95-8 (???) en route to one state title (last year), and two runner-up finishes over in the previous four seasons.

Saturday's triumph finished this Zillah season at 25-2. So that's a five-year run of 120-10.

"I'd never lost two games in a row my whole career," said Dunsmore.

Junior Scotty Burge and sophomore Trey Delp scored 15 points apiece for the Leopards, who seized control early and never let up.

Burge added four assists and three steals, and his free throw with 4:26 left in the first quarter gave Zillah an 8-5 lead while also equaling his team's point total for the entire first half the evening prior.

"We were more relaxed," Doug Burge said. "Maybe the pressure was off, with us being the defending champions and ranked No. 1 - I don't know. But we dictated our will on them today."

The Leopards led 20-10 after one quarter, 39-24 at halftime and 57-39 after three.

The Pirates, who finished 23-3 and claimed third place, fought admirably behind the 25-point, 10-rebound performance of 6-foot-3 senior Jessie Norton.

But they got no closer in the fourth quarter than 57-44 on Norton's 3-ball to start the period.

Zillah shot 60 percent for the first half, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and finished at .549. The Leopards also scored 22 points off 17 Vashon turnovers.

"We didn't shoot it well at all last night," Dunsmore said, "but we knew what we needed to do."

Said Burge, "Third place, for this team in this situation, is a big deal. These kids needed to respond to show who they are against a really good Vashon team, and they definitely did that."

The 6-6 Dunsmore said he didn't know what his basketball future holds, saying, "I want to still be playing basketball somewhere next year. But this was a great way to go out, and I've had a great four years.

"I wouldn't have wanted to play anywhere else for anyone else. It's been a blast."