The West Seattle Wildcats tipped off against the Bellevue Wolverines with their postseason hopes on the line. The fate of the Wildcats’ came down to the final 3 seconds, and they managed to squeeze out a 53-52 win, thanks in large part to the nerves of senior Bo Gionet.
With three seconds to go and the game knotted at 52-52, Gionet stepped up to complete a free throw from the line. Gionet kept his cool and drained the shot to keep the Wildcats’ future in the tournament alive.
The Wildcats were able to pull off a comeback after being down for most of the game, and by 10 points going into the fourth quarter. Bellevue was ahead due to their success with inside shots. West Seattle closed the lead in the fourth quarter through strategic defending.
While Gionet shot the final free throw, the senior played hard throughout the game, leading the team with 16 points. The cherry on top for the 6’4″ forward was making the winning free throw in the final seconds of the game. Junior Alex Pierce scored the second most for West Seattle with 10 points.
Coming into the game, West Seattle had beaten Roosevelt 83-62, putting the Wildcats up against Bellevue in the second round. After the win against Bellevue, the Wildcats will play a Rainier Beach squad from off a 55-51 upset win over O’Dea. The last time Rainier Beach and West Seattle met was on December 12, 2023, and West Seattle won 58-51. The winner of that matchup will advance to the tournament final against the winner of Eastside Catholic-Garfield.
