After upsetting top-ranked Garfield and University of Washington-bound Tony Wroten in the semifinals, Gonzaga Prep continued its run to the top Saturday night with a convincing 61-41 victory over Curtis to take Washington's Class 4A title at the Tacoma Dome.
Led by Gonzaga-bound guard Chris Sarbaugh and fellow senior Parker Kelly, the Bullpup offense shot nearly 50 percent from the field, with Kelly scoring 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Sarbaugh scored 17 and had six assists.
The real story may have been the Gonzaga Prep defense, which gave up 24 points to Washington State-bound senior DaVonte Lacy but held him to 7-19 shooting on the night.
Overall, Curtis shot only 32.5 percent from the field and scored only five points during the decisive third quarter, when Gonzaga Prep stretched a seven-point halftime lead to 17.
Sarbuagh helped hold Lacy in check during the quarter by playing tenacious defense. The rest of the Bullpups did, too, as Curtis managed only a single field goal in the third as Gonzaga Prep pulled ahead and never looked back.
Gonzaga Prep is a private Catholic school in Spokane. Its alumni include NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton and singer Bing Crosby.
Curtis was playing in its first state final since 1986. It last won in 1971.