UPrep was eliminated from the conference playoffs on Feb. 17 after a 46-42 loss to Eastside Prep in the third round.
“All of our games with Eastside Prep were close,” coach James Johnson said.
Late in the game, Johnson went to the bench, where he called on senior point guard Sol Starin.
“We went with Sol because of his experience and ability to make the right play,” Johnson said.
Soon, UPrep trailed 43-39 with a minute to go. Starin knocked in a three on the next possession, and the Pumas trailed by one.
“Most importantly, he has the confidence to take that shot,” Johnson said.
Ultimately, after multiple clinching free throws by Eastside Prep, the Pumas were eliminated from the playoffs.
“All season long, we’ve come back from large deficits,” Johnson said. “Our motto is ‘chop wood’.”
UPrep lost to Kings’ 78-47 on Feb. 13, which set up the Eastside Prep matchup.
“Anyone can beat anyone on any given day,” Johnson said.
The Pumas played Cedar Park in the first round of the playoffs on Feb. 11.
“From the start, I knew we were not going down like last year,” sophomore point guard Eli Williams said.
The Pumas lost to Cedar Park in the second round of the playoffs last year by the score of 40-29.
“That was devastating,” Williams said. “We shouldn’t have lost last year.”
Johnson’s squad increased their advantage to 11 after three quarters.
“After losing so much last year, none of us could do it again,” Williams said.
Sophomore wing Wade Suess finished with 15 points and six rebounds, continuing a string of performances that earned him first-team honors beside Williams.
“I give him credit,” Johnson said. “He did a great job on his defense and he put his nose in there and grabbed some rebounds.”
Johnson acknowledges the potential that this team has for the future.
“The sky is the limit. I’m excited to see what they want to do, and I think they are too,” Johnson said.
The team finished the regular season with a 15-4 record.
The team ended with a record of 6-11 last year, including 3-3 in conference play, and was knocked out in the second round of the playoffs by Cedar Park Christian. This performance was enough for third place in their league.
“Last year, the season started on day one,” Waterman said. “This year, it started on day zero.”
This season, UPrep hoped to clinch a state berth for the first time since 2014.
“I want them to have those experiences. I want the student body to have those experiences,” Johnson said.
Johnson highlighted the team’s comeback 54-49 overtime win against South Whidbey on senior night on Jan. 30.
“We were down as much as 17 in the first quarter and came back to win. People have this misconception that playing at home is easier,” Johnson said. “Especially for high schoolers, playing in front of your peers can be rough sometimes. Playing at home, there’s a lot of pressure.”
Waterman attributes the team’s success to the young core of sophomores that the team assembled in the offseason.
“Wade, Eli and me, we were the core people,” Waterman said. “At the end of last year we were like ‘alright, do we want to be good? Or do we want to be great?’”
According to Johnson, the team loves being around each other, and that bond has strengthened them throughout the season.
“[Belief] is a dream that you know to be true,” Johnson said. “Our kids have belief.”
