The La Conner Braves, whose tallest starters were 5-9 guards Kaleb Otis and Hadden Zimmerman, fell short after a fast start in third-round Bi-District hoops tourney action at Friday Harbor last Tuesday.
The Braves, who led 16-13 after the first period, were eliminated from post-season play with a 66-35 loss to a tall and veteran Friday Harbor Wolverines lineup playing before a supportive home crowd.
With 6-6 senior forward Mamadou Hoskins anchoring the middle and 6-0 wings Channing Kleine and Ben Baisch scoring in double figures, Friday Harbor shook off a sluggish start and spoiled a Braves upset bid that looked quite promising in the game’s first eight minutes.
With the win, Friday Harbor improved to 7-15 overall and advanced to a fourth-round Bi-District loser-out matchup with Orcas Island. La Conner’s season ended 72 hours after the Braves secured their lone triumph in 2025-26, a stirring 74-70 Bi-District victory over Summit Atlas in Seattle.
It seemed for a while at Friday Harbor that La Conner would double its season win total.
Otis, who led the Braves with 15 points — including four three-pointers — set the tone early with a perimeter trey that got La Conner on the scoreboard first. Moments later, Zimmerman broke a 3-3 tie with a deft bank shot off a feed from Chas James.
Zimmerman then returned the favor, dishing an assist to James for an inside bucket and a 7-5 La Conner edge.
Two more baskets by Zimmerman, a three-pointer from Kamien Lopez, and an Otis jumper kept the Braves ahead going into the second quarter.
But Friday Harbor responded with a 17-7 run before halftime to go in front 30-23 at the break.
The Braves answered in the third quarter with another Kamien Lopez three-pointer and a driving layup by Zimmerman that narrowed the Friday Harbor margin to 31-28. That, however, was when foul trouble and Friday Harbor’s full-court press began taking their toll on La Conner.
Friday Harbor went on a 21-4 spurt to build an insurmountable 52-32 lead entering the final stanza. The hosts maintained a minimum 20-point cushion for the rest of the contest.
Klein matched Otis with game-high scoring honors. The Friday Harbor junior scored all but two of his 15 points in the first three quarters. Baisch added 13 points and led Friday Harbor with three long treys.
Zimmerman (9), Kamien Lopez (6), Romeyn Lopez (3), and James (2) joined Otis in the La Conner scoring column.
Friday Harbor enjoyed a huge advantage at the free throw line, converting 18 of 40 charity tosses. La Conner, by contrast, was just two of 10 from the foul stripe.
The Braves were frequently whistled in the paint trying to defend against Friday Harbor’s superior height. The victors, with nine players standing 6-0 or taller, also drew Braves fouls attacking the rim after forcing La Conner turnovers in the backcourt.
La Conner point guard Keaton Bailey, coming off a 24-point outing against Summit, was sidelined by foul issues for much of the Friday Harbor game. He eventually fouled out with 6:48 to play. Teammates Kamien Lopez and Brent Bobb finished with four fouls each.
The Bi-District matchup with the Wolverines marked the final appearance for five La Conner seniors — Luke Cicotte, Kamien Lopez, Zimmerman, James and Bobb.
Two eighth graders, Romeyn Lopez and Emmitt Alvord; two freshmen, Jaylen Pedroza and Ryan Reynolds; sophomores Landon Stevens and Bailey; and Otis, a junior, also saw the court for La Conner at Friday Harbor.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
