Cardinals Outlast Red Devils 66-61 in Thriller to Advance to NWAC Final 4

PASCO, Wash. – The Skagit Valley Cardinals earned a gritty 66-61 victory over the Lower Columbia Red Devils to earn their spot in the Final 4 of the NWAC Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Golf Universe, at Columbia Basin College.

In one of the highly anticipated games of the tournament, the Cardinals (27-5) and the Red Devils (27-4) battled neck-and-neck throughout the entire game, coming down to the final minute. The game featured 12 lead changes with the largest lead of nine points held by LCC midway through the first half.

Jerry Hayes and Connor Drinkwine led the Cardinals with 19 points each. Hayes had the play of the game with 41 seconds left and up 59-57, Hayes drove to the hoop and drew contact, making an acrobatic layup while falling to the ground. He then knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play and give Skagit Valley an important five-point lead. The Cardinals were perfect at the free-throw line to close the game out.

Sylas Williams had a big game with nine points and 15 rebounds for the Cardinals. SVC went 15-for-18 from the free throw line and had a 47-34 rebounding advantage.

Kobe Parlin led the Red Devils with 17 points while Malik Brown came off the bench to score 16. Jona Zeller had 11 points and seven boards.

The Cardinals advance to the NWAC Final 4 for the first time since 2014 when they finished fourth place. They will await the winner of the final Elite 8 game between Tacoma and Everett and will play the winner next Saturday, March 16 at 2 p.m. at Holden Court.