HS Boys Basketball: Puyallup Advances To SPSL Championship Game With Big Second Half

2/6/25

Bonney Lake Panthers 13/12/12/13 – 50
Puyallup Vikings 12/14/21/20 – 67

(Puyallup, WA) Winning an SPSL title holds so much value to every school, regardless of what sport it is. The Puyallup Vikings made the SPSL Championship Game last year but fell just short of winning the league title, and after claiming the SPSL North, they are looking to be SPSL Champs. The Bonney Lake Panthers won one game last year in 3A, and making the jump up to 4A isn’t easy. The Panthers took second in the SPSL South, with an opportunity to be league champs. Both of these teams know they will be in the District Tournament, but on top of a league title up for grabs, a pair of wins would do wonders to solidify seeds and potentially host some games in the tournament.

In the first quarter, it was a very balanced quarter. Each team had a response for the other as neither side pulled away from each other. Puyallup had five players that scored in the first quarter, but it was Bonney Lake who held a one-point lead after the first, 13-12.

In the second quarter, It was another back-and-forth quarter. Like the first, this quarter was up for grabs. Puyallup had eight first-half points from Drew Jones, who led seven Vikings in scoring. Eli Davis, who also had eight points, led Bonney Lake in first-half scoring. Puyallup took a one-point lead of 26-25 into the halftime break.

In the third quarter, the Puyallup offense had a 21-point outburst, as Will Nasinec had nine points for Puyallup to give the Vikings a 47-37 lead after three.

In the fourth quarter, Puyallup’s scoring ways continued, putting up 20 points in the final stanza. Drew Jones and Will Nasinec had big fourth quarters, with Jones scoring 11 in the quarter and Nasinec added nine points. Puyallup would get the home win, 67-50, and advance to the SPSL Title Game.

With the win, Puyallup is now 17-5 on the season and will face Emerald Ridge in the SPSL Championship Game on Saturday at Tacoma Community College at approximately 8 PM.

Bonney Lake drops to 8-12 on the season but the Panthers will take on another SPSL South team on Saturday, Olympia, at Bethel HS at approximately 4 PM.

Our Thorbeckes Game MVP went to Puyallup’s Drew Jones. Jones tied his teammate Will Nasinec in points with 23 in the game, but for Jones, he made Puyallup history. Jones scored his 1,000th point, picked up his 300th assist, and is the only player ever at Puyallup to hit both of those milestones.

Puyallup’s Will Nasinec had another great game with 23 points, Lawson Looker had seven points, Mason Sonntag had four points, John Mburu and Bennett Hedman had three points, and Porter Richardson and Christian Thomas each had two points.

Bonney Lake was led by Eli Davis, who had 14 points, Cooper Hartley had three three-pointers and finished with 13 points. Jamian Lewis also had three three-pointers and was in double figures with 11 points. Layne Weir and Quinton Sagiao had four points and Cole Seminara finished with three points.

Click here to watch the full game replay (Subscription Required).

ESN Talks With Thorbeckes Game MVP, Puyallup’s Drew Jones