[ t o u r n e y t o w n . c o m -- 2008 Class 1A boys state tournament ]

White Swan -- Van Pelt 5-13 0-0 12, L. Fiander 0-0 0-0 0, Blodgett 1-2 0-0 2, Hernandez 0-0 0-0 0, Komaromy 6-12 1-1 16, Sanchey 2-5 0-1 4, Espindola 0-0 0-0 0, Castilleja 4-13 0-4 8, Carl 2-10 0-1 4, T. Fiander 0-0 0-0 0, Dimilanta 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 1-7 46.

Bellevue Christian -- Pattison 0-0 0-0 0, Coulter 0-0 0-0 0, Iseman 5-7 4-5 14, Pressey 0-1 2-2 2, Aly 2-8 8-8 12, Neal 0-0 0-0 0, Kats 1-2 0-0 2, Baranowski 7-13 2-3 16, Downs 3-11 2-3 10, Rogers 0-0 0-0 0, Stack 0-0 0-2 0, Rerucha 4-7 0-0 9. Totals 22-49 18-23 65.

White Swan

Bellevue Christian

3-point goals--WS 5-16 (Komaromy 3-6, Van Pelt 2-7, Blodgett 0-1, Carl 0-2), BC 3-9 (Downs 2-4, Rerucha 1-1, Baranowski 0-1, Kats 0-1, Aly 0-2). Rebounds--WS 29 (Castilleja 11), BC 41 (Downs 10). Assists--WS 6 (Carl 3), BC 9 (Aly 4). Steals--WS 5, BC 9 (Baranowski 4). Blocked shots--WS 7 (Carl 3, Sanchey 3), BC 4 (Aly 3). Fouled out--None. Total fouls--WS 18, BC 12. Technical fouls--None. Turnovers--WS 10, BC 10.

The thing about state tournaments is that they last four days. They involve four consecutive games for the teams that earn them, and for a team that plays as hard as White Swan typically does, that can be a problem.

Witness Saturday's game with Bellevue Christian, which determined third and sixth places in the Class 1A boys tourney.

The Cougars were doing what they do — flying all over both ends of the SunDome court — and led 40-39 with 1:56 to play in the third quarter. The Vikings, however, scored the next 20 points en route to a 65-46 win and an inglorious end to a glorious White Swan season.

"We probably got a little flat, and maybe a little winded, at that point of the game," Cougars coach Manuel Rangel said. "We played awfully hard yesterday, giving River View a run for its money, and things might have caught up with us a little bit."

Maybe so.

But nothing that happened Saturday detracted from the bottom line of White Swan's season. Included were a 21-7 record, a SCAC West championship, a berth in the tournament's final four and, ultimately, a sixth-place trophy.

Pegged by the Herald-Republic as a team that "might surprise" in the tournament, the Cougars both surprised and impressed. They came within a Friday free throw against River View of becoming the first White Swan team to make a state championship game since 1967.

"There's a lot of emotion in that locker room right now," Rangel said. "A lot of them are just realizing they've played their last high school game. I'm so proud of my kids. I'd have played all 12 them at the same time if I could have."

Though pre-tournament-favorite Bellevue Christian (24-3) featured impressive athleticism, the Cougars hung tough with their usual level of controlled frenzy.

Adrian Komaromy, hitting three first-quarter 3-pointers, scored 16 points, point guard Travis Van Pelt had 12 and Aaron Castilleja totaled eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Brady Carl, though he scored only four points, had six rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.

But White Swan shot only 36 percent, was out-boarded 41-29 and again hampered itself at the foul line by going 1 for 7 compared with the Vikings' 18 for 23.

Brian Baranowski led four Bellevue Christian scorers in double figures with 16 points while Aaron Iseman had 14 and sophomore David Downs totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds.