Junior Orland Axton solid from the stripe; Central Valley tops Kennewick to claim berth to state | District 6 basketball

The result of seventh-seeded University advancing to the District 6 3A title game this week meant that either the second or third seed would end up watching the state tournament from home.

So, when Greater Spokane League 3A runner-up Central Valley and Mid-Columbia Conference 3A champ Kennewick met on Saturday at CV, both had to set aside bruised egos due to their losses to the Titans and bounce back for their biggest games of the season.

The stakes could not be higher: Win, or go home.

CV used a 17-9 run in the third quarter to open up a needed cushion and the third-seeded Bears (16-7) made their free throws down the stretch and held off the second-seeded Lions (16-8) 60-51, punching their ticket to state.

Orland Axton made 7 of 8 at the line in the final 55 seconds of the game.

“It’s been a rough season with me shooting free throws,” he said. “I had one game where I missed six in a row and then I missed two free throws to win the game (Thursday) at Ridgeline. So I’ve been waking up early before I go to school, and just shooting 100 free throws every morning, and it’s starting to pay off.”

“I’m always gonna ride with Orland at the line at the end of the game,” Central Valley coach TJ Milless said. “Super proud of the kid. It’s great to see him bounce back like that.”

Axton finished with 25 points and went 9 of 10 at the line overall. Arjun Kandola had 13 points and Cameron Walls added 10. All three are juniors.

All three District 6 boys 3A berths went to GSL teams.

“It’s a credit to our league,” Milless said. “You see it in every game we play, regardless of the opponent. This league is so deep, and every team is going to give you a dogfight. … It’s a league like this that tests you for these moments. And so I feel like we’re battle tested when we go try and get the ‘W.’ ”

CV held Kennewick to 14 points below their season average.

“If you can’t defend, you can’t win in this league,” Milless said. “Shooting is gonna gonna ebb and flow, as we’ve seen this year a lot, but the defense is what’s gonna carry you.”

The state seeding committee meets Sunday to determine the matchups for the opening rounds of state. Those games will determine which teams make the final 12 and get to go to the Tacoma Dome.

“That’s been our goal all year, to get to the Dome,” Axton said. “It wasn’t the route we wanted, but we’ve still got probably one more game to get there.”

After falling to school district rival U-Hi in a semifinal, CV had to win back-to-back loser-outs – first against Ridgeline then Kennewick.

“I think the last two games have been probably the most proud I’ve been of the team all year,” Milless said. “To bounce back, lose to your rival on your home court in a winner-to-state game – we talked about mental toughness all year, and it doesn’t get more mentally tough than the way we responded against Ridgeline and tonight.”

Axton hit four of his first five shots and had nine points in the first quarter as the Bears built a 14-10 lead. CV went on an 8-3 run to start the second – with four players scoring – and the lead grew to 22-13.

Kennewick scored the next eight points, though.

Sophomore guard Jacob Brus hit a floater and junior Emerson Lippoldt made a pair of free throws as time was winding down in the half and CV led 28-23 at the break.

Kandola completed a three-point play as part of a 9-2 run for the Bears to open the third. He added a three a bit later and Axton’s 3-pointer with 30 seconds left gave the Bears a 45-32 lead entering the fourth.

Kennewick chipped away at its deficit and drew within seven with one minute left. Daniel Trotenya (31 points, five 3-pointers) hit a pair of free throws to make it a five-point game with 55 seconds left, but Axton and Walls combined to make 12 free throws in the fourth and the Bears advanced to state.