Size usually wins over all else in the game of basketball. The Granger boys defied such logic Friday.

Despite battling Friday Harbor’s height and strength in the middle, the Spartans played a scrambling zone defense and made huge shots down the stretch to beat the Wolverines 52-50 in overtime and guarantee themselves a second straight trophy at the Class 1A state tournament in the SunDome.

The Spartans play Overlake, a 57-55 winner over Freeman, in the fourth/seventh place matchup Saturday at noon. Granger finished eighth in last year’s tournament.

Friday Harbor was eliminated.

“This was huge, there is no other way to describe it,” Granger coach David Gibb said.

The Wolverines boasted a front line that featured 6-foot-5 John Hamilton and 6-3 Chad Stoddard while Gibb countered with a smaller lineup built on quickness and sharp outside shooting. The only player on the Spartan roster over six feet tall is 6-2 junior Ryan Arriaga.

“We tried to drive with (point guard) Mario Mengarelli and if they collapsed, we looked for a layup or to kick it out,” Gibb said. “On defense it was a different story. We played a zone for the first time in two years.”

At the outset the plan worked beautifully, with Mengarelli slashing to the basket and either scoring or finding an open teammate.

Granger got off to a 16-6 lead and looked to have Friday Harbor off balance. Gradually, however, the Wolverines scrapped their way back.

Down six at halftime, Friday Harbor came out in the third and took away the interior on defense, using the towering Hamilton as the anchor. The game plan stifled the Spartans, who scored only two points in the period.

A layup by Keller McNairy gave the Wolverines a 30-28 lead going into what would be a frantic final quarter.

Two 3-pointers by R.J. Solis knotted the score at 34 early in the period. Three minutes later, with the Wolverines nursing a 41-38 lead, it was Solis again, this time as a distributor. Dribbling the ball at the top of the key, he threaded a beautiful bounce pass to an open Edward Castro who burried a 3-pointer from the left corner.

With a minute left in regulation and his team again down three, Solis hit a deep three from the wing that sent the game to overtime. The 5-8 sophmore was the youngest player on the court, but played with a poise that well exceeded his years.

“We needed somebody to step up and I accepted the role,” said Solis. “Now we leave with a victory.”

In overtime, Castro hit a 3-pointer — after Hamiltonm blocked an initial attempt — to break a tie and Friday Harbor never recovered.

“He blocked my shot but nobody got the ball,” said Castro. “I got it, looked, no one stepped up and I hit the shot.”

Castro topped all scorers with 21 points. Solis came off the bench for 16 points, including five 3-pointers.

Friday Harbor got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Stoddard. Hamilton also had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but shot 3-14 from the field.

Granger -- Solis 5-12 1-2 16, A. Cortez 0-2 0-2 0, Mengarelli 4-9 1-4 9, E. Castro 5-19 7-8 21, J. Cortez 1-4 0-0 2, Arriaga 2-5 0-1 4, Alegria 0-0 0-0 0, M. Castro 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-51 9-17 52.
Friday Harbor -- Benz 0-0 0-0 0, McNairy 4-9 2-3 11, E. Rothlisberger 1-4 0-0 2, Fowler 0-2 0-0 0, Hart 3-8 1-2 8, Stoddard 7-12 1-2 16, Gerhardstein 1-3 0-2 2, Hamilton 3-14 5-9 11, Scheffer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-52 9-18 50.
Granger	14	12	2	16	8	--  52
Friday Harbor	6	14	10	14	6	--  50
3-point goals--G 9-27 (Solis 5-12, E. Castro 4-13, Mengarelli 0-1, A. Cortez 0-2), FH 3-8 (McNairy 1-1, Stoddard 1-2, Hart 1-5). Rebounds--G 35 (E. Castro 6, J. Cortez 6), FH 43 (Hamilton 11, Stoddard 10). Assists--G 6 (E. Castro 2, FH 8 (Stoddard 4). Steals--G 6 (Solis 2), FH 5. Blocked shots--G 0, FH 7 (Hamilton 4). Fouled out--Mengarelli, M. Castro, Stoddard. Total fouls--G 18, FH 20. Technical fouls--Hart. Turnovers--G 11, FH 15.