MARK BEACH, EAST GUARD, WEARS A PAINED EXPRESSION AS LOOSE BALL EVADES HIM

. . . But most of them went East's way in 81-55 triumph; Knights' Steve Boyce watches

- (Sun Photo by Elling Simonsen)

By TED PEARSON

Sun Sports Writer

     Everyone wants to go out in style.

     You know, smack a home run the final trip to the plate. Score a touchdown the final time with the football, etc., etc.

     Well, the East Bremerton Knights and Steve Boyce closed out their home court season in rousing fashion Friday night as they whipped the North Kitsap Vikings, 81-55.

     Things couldn’t have been better for the Knights and Boyce. And the medium-sized partisan crowd ate it up.

     First off, the Knight team assured itself of class AA post-season action, although just where and against whom hasn’t been decided and might not be determined until the Knight play Central Kitsap next Friday.

     Secondly, but by no means less important, Boyce established himself as the all-time single game scorer for the Knights with a 37-point effort against the Vikings.

     The 6-foot-5 Boyce banged in 16 field goas and was five-for-seven at the charity strip as he erased the four-year-old standard of 36 set by Keith Gundelfinger against the Central Kitsap Cougars in February of 1967.

     The dark-haired pivot was something else. He hit from outside, on jump shots. He connected inside on lay-ins and rebounds. In addition to scoring the record 37 tallies from the floor, Boyce also lead the Knights to a commanding 49-26 edge in the rebounding department with 20 caroms.

     It was Boyce that ignited the fire in the Knights in the third quarter and broke the tight game open.

     Clinging to a skimpy, 34-27 lead at the intermission, the Knights started getting the ball to Boyce and the big pivot reeled off 10 straight points as East quickly vaulted to a 44-31 edge in just under three minutes of the third quarter.

     It was all over. Boyce, however, was just warming up. In fact. Boyce went on to add nine more tallies in the third stanza as the Knight outscored the visitors, 31-15.

     The Knights, although getting off to a slow start against the Viks due to some cold shooting, were unstoppable in the third stanza, as they hit on 13 of 17 shots.

     Boyce, who finished the game with 16 hits out of 25 shots, was eight-for-nine in the period.

     “Boyce played a fine game. He was just fantastic – shooting and rebounding the way he did,” commented Eathorne after the game.

     The veteran East cage boss was quick, however, to point out that several other Knights played key roles in the triumph.     

     “Blaisdell (forward Clark) did a good job, so did Hegland (forward Dave). And Eddy (guard Kevin), he really played tough defense.:

     In fact, it was the defense of Eddy on NK’s Larry Reynolds in the first half that enabled the Knights to keep what little lead they had. Eddy limited Reynolds to just two points the first half and those came on two free throws.

     Reynolds, however, managed to break loose somewhat in the second half – especially in the third period – and finish with 16 tallies to top the NK attack.

     With Reynolds under wraps, guard John Waag and center Tony Yount took up the slack and enabled the Viks to gain three one-point leads in the first half and knot the score on four occasions.

     Waag, who collected 14 markers for the game, and Yount, who finished with 10 points, each scored nine points in the first half to keep the pressure on the Knights.

     Only one other Knight – Hegland – managed double figures for the game. The 6-3 forward popped in 10 points, including six in the torrid third section of play.

     For the game the Knights finished with a respectable 45 per cent from the floor (33 of 74) after shooting 33 percent (13 of 39) the first half. North Kitsap shot 39 per cent (22 of 56).

     “I hope we don’t let up now,” remarked Eathorne on the prospect of facing North again on Tuesday, at Poulsbo, and Central Kitsap in Silverdale on Friday.

     While the East varsity was involved in what turned out to be a runaway, the Knight junior varsity was pushed to the hilt before downing the Vik reserves, 68-63.

     Mike Walthal, Rick Arena and Cliff McKenzie sparked the East attack. Wathal popped in 20 markers and Arena and McKenzie added 19 and 11 points, respectively.

     Craig Riggs topped the NK attack with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Mark Haupt’s 13.

Total Fouls:  North Kitsap 14; East Bremerton 19.

Fouled Out:  Eddy, East Bremerton

     Subs:  North Kitsap Junior Varsity - Hobneer 8, Skelley 4, Houpf 14. East Bremerton Junior Varsity - Walthall 20, Cook, Nelson 6, Taylor.