BREMERTON, Wash. – One thing appears to be a given this 2018 Pee Wee basketball season If Warren Ave (WA) Boys B team is playing, the ending is going to be exciting. Four out of five of their games have been won by three points or less.

They opened the season Jan. 25 with a 30-to-29 win in Silverdale, Wash., against Chico Black. Then followed with a come from behind 29-to-26 victory at John Sedgwick Middle School against South Kitsap White in the final minute.

Friday night, on their home court at Mountain View Middle School, down by 2 points, with 1.2 seconds remaining in the game, WA’s Oliver Christian heaves the basketball from the opposing baseline, down and across court to his open teammate Trenton Bulmer standing at the half-court line. Bulmer caught the ball just over the center line, turned and launched the ball at the basket. While the orange spheroid was in flight the game clock goes off, signaling the end of the contest. The ball didn’t care, it struck the glass backboard dead-center of the white square and ricochets into the basket. Exuberate cheers erupt in the Mountain View gym as WA wins, 45-to-44, over suddenly disheartened Silverdale 1.

“I can’t believe that actually went in,” Bulmer stated in the post-game video interview.

All forty-four minutes, two 22-minute running halves, of the Boys B level Kitsap County Pee Wee game were packed with action.

For the first nineteen minutes the Silverdale 1 Spartans held the edge. The WA Knights were constantly playing catch-up basketball but never let Silverdale get more than a 5-point advantage.

With five minutes remaining in the first-half, Warren Ave figured out the Spartans and took a 19-to-15 lead going into the halftime break.

A major contributor to the momentum swing was Bulmer’s full-court defensive play. While his teammates retreated down the court to protect their key, Bulmer time after time remained at the opponent’s free throw line to harass the opposing point guard once the ball was inbounded. In the first-half, Bulmer rang-up 4 steals and knocked the ball loose two other times, which were retrieved by his teammates. He ended the game with a team-high 6 steals.

Starting the 2^nd half the Knights continued to where they left off before the intermission, in control of the game. But head coach Ryan Christian had to call a time-out with 10:26 remaining in the game when Silverdale 1 regained its rhythm and tied the score at 29 all.

The Warren Ave called time-out did nothing to change the current flow of the game. Coach Christian had to call another time-out four minutes later because now his boys trailed by five, 32-to-37.

Although the Knights continued to remain within a basket or two of the Spartans, they appeared unable to get themselves over the crest of the hill and take the game back.

That was until WA starting guard Jmiah Smith grabbed his fifth steal of the game and got the ball down the court to a streaking Bulmer. Bulmer’s subsequent fast-break layup put the Knights ahead 42-to-41, with 18 seconds left in the game.

All that remained for Warren Ave to do was execute one final strong defensive stand and the victory was theirs.

That didn’t happen. Silverdale got off a good baseline in the paint shot, from the right-side of the key, that went in and the lead official blew his whistle indicating that the shooter had been fouled.

Now ahead by a point and standing at the charity strip, the Silverdale shooter made the potential game-winning free throw, putting his team up by 2, 44-to-42.

Coming out of its final time-out, the only options remaining for Warren Ave to win was a desperation three-point basket, which Bulmer made happen.

Forgotten in the post-game celebration were the little things that gave Bulmer the opportunity to win the game for his team.

Forty-four points is WA Boys B highest offensive output so far this season. They took a season-high 69 field goal attempts and converted a season-high 20 of those shots (30%). They also set new benchmarks in Free Throws (FT) Made (6), FT Percentage (6/12 – 50%), Assists (6), Steals (21), and Forced Steals (4).

Individually, Smith recorded a quiet double-double, of 16 points and 10 rebounds, his first duel double digit output of the season. Christian too had a double-digit scoring outing, of 10 points, and also led the team in assists. From the bench, Dillion Lovestedt matched Smith’s rebounding total of 10 boards and Madden Benson added an additional nine rebounds, 5 offensive and 4 defensive.

In summary, Bulmer might have made the unlikely game-winning shot but it was all eleven WA Boys B players that orchestrated the team’s victory this night.

This coming Friday (Feb. 23) the Knights will once again be back on the Mountain View hardwood, this time to face NK-Suquamish. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 p.m.