Bellevue Faces Decatur Tonight in First Night of Basketball Playoffs

What: First Round State Playoff Game

Where: Bellevue College

When: Friday, February 25, 9:15 p.m.

Situation: The WIAA switched things up this year with the state basketball playoff format, switching from the old 16-team, four-day Tacoma Dome event to one that features four different regional rounds followed by a round of eight the following weekend at the T-Dome.

Each regional site will feature four teams, two of which will advance to the round of eight. Every regional will have one automatic advance game and one loser-out game on Friday. The winner of the loser-out game will then play the loser of the automatic advance game on Saturday for the final spot in the round of eight from the regional. For example, Lakes and Mount Vernon play in the loser-out game of the Bellevue region on Friday, while Decatur and Bellevue play in the automatic advance game. The winner of the Lakes/Mount Vernon game will advance to play Saturday, while the loser will be eliminated. The winner of the Decatur/Bellevue game automatically advances to the round of eight at the Tacoma Dome, while the loser plays the winner of the Lakes/Mount Vernon game on Saturday for the final spot in the round of eight out of the region.

Teams:

Bellevue (21-5) – rebounded from a KingCo 3A title game loss to rival Mercer Island to breeze through the Sea-King district playoffs and qualify for an automatic advance game in the round of 16. Will Locke and Nate Sikma lead the Wolverines, combining to average over 38 points per game.

Decatur (17-7) – The Gators were just 8-5 at the midway point of the season, but have been on fire over the last month, winning nine of their last 11 games. All-time school scoring leader Jerron Smith leads Decatur, averaging 28 points per game.