State Tournament: Top Performers from Day 1 (3A)

<p>The first day in the Tacoma Dome means everyone is in a "win or go home" situation. This morning, there were 12 teams with dreams of a ring. This evening, there are 8 teams left searching for a storybook ending. These five players from 3A stepped up and helped their teams extend their season. </p> <p><strong>Jacob Cofie - 6’9 PF - Eastside Catholic</strong></p> <p>Cofie couldn’t quite find his shooting rhythm in the opening game but his presence was still felt. In a low-scoring game, Cofie had 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. He showed that he is comfortable anywhere on the floor. He knocked down a three with confidence, occasionally led the fast break, and was locked in defensively. Despite having a hard time getting his shots to fall, he did what was needed to lead his team to victory. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="674435" first="DaeKwon" last="Watson"] - 6’0 CG - Auburn</strong></p> <p>Watson continued to be who he has been all season; exactly what Auburn needs to win. When his teammate, Arington, went down with an injury halfway through the regular season, Watson took on a larger scoring role. He had multiple 20 point games and that has continued even with the return of Arington. This morning, Watson erupted for 22 points to help the Trojans bounce back after a loss in regionals. His scoring on its own was impressive, but he also had 8 assists and 6 steals to show everyone he can do quite a bit of everything on both ends of the floor. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="931155" first="Kaden" last="Hansen"] - 6’0 CG - Auburn</strong></p> <p>Hansen is one of the best scorers in the state and he proved that once again on Day 1 in the Tacoma Dome.  After a rough night in regionals, Hansen reminded everyone that he is not someone you can leave open once he crosses halfcourt. He started the game off hot from three and ended the first half with 14 points. In the second half, he continued his scoring and ended the game with 24 points on six made threes. Hansen will look to have another big day tomorrow in their rematch vs the top-ranked Garfield Bulldogs.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="923125" first="Nahmier" last="Robinson"] - 5’10 PG - Rainier Beach</strong></p> <p>Robinson led all scorers with 20 points to help the Vikings reach the quarterfinals. He used his quickness and handle to score in the paint. It is not often that you watch an undersized guard dominate the game around the rim but he did just that as he shot 7/10 on the day and didn’t even knock down a three. Most guards today live behind the three-point line but Robinson took what the defense gave him and scored the ball well inside the arc and from the free-throw line.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="931185" first="Jeffrey" last="Anyimah"] - 6’0 PG - Mountlake Terrace</strong></p> <p>Anyimah was everything his team needed him to be on the afternoon. Matching up against one of the best backcourts in the state didn't keep Aniymah from scoring the basketball. With 18 points on the day he scored in a variety of ways. He showed the handle to get by guys and the confidence to pull it from deep. Not many guards would have been able to do what he did in this game. He was a leader and his calm demeanor down the stretch kept his team focused and confident. </p>