If there were any skeptics about how good this year’s Mountlake Terrace Hawks team is, those doubts may have been put to rest on Friday as the team convincingly finished off their 2023-2024 Wesco League schedule by going undefeated in league play.

Terrace capped off a perfect league slate (15-0) with a 78-33 thumping of the Cascade Bruins in the squad’s regular season finale played at Cascade High School in Everett.

Going 15-0 in the 2A/3A Wesco League season gave the Hawks their ninth regular season title in school history and the first title without a league loss since the 1999-2000 season.

The Hawks’ 15th league win of this year was resounding on Friday as the team outscored Cascade 41-9 in the second half and dealt the Bruins their most lopsided loss of the season.

The Terrace victory was also noteworthy as senior Jaxon Dubiel scored 40 points for an all-time personal high and a new Terrace individual scoring record in a single game. Dubiel’s performance also put the sharpshooter over 1,000 points scored for his prep career. 

Dubiel joins teammate Zaveon Jones in the 1,000 point club as Jones reached that threshold during Terrace’s Jan. 30 game against Shorecrest.

Dubiel was reflective after Friday’s victory about his record-setting 40-point outing. “I came into the game, last regular season game, just wanting to get a win,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking anything of it.”

“I started hitting some shots and got a rhythm going,” he continued. “You know, sometimes that kind of stuff happens; you have a night. So that’s pretty cool.”

Jones contributed 14 points in the Terrace win on Friday. The Bruins were led in scoring by the 13 points of senior Aidan Kopra.

While Dubiel was sizzling offensively, he and his Hawk teammates were able to handcuff the Bruins at the other end of the court, especially in the second half. Dubiel noted that despite holding a big halftime lead, Coach Nalin Sood pushed his squad to turn up the defensive intensity during a halftime locker room huddle.

“At halftime he came in there and he’s like, ‘buckle down,’” Dubiel said. “And we were like, ‘we’ve got you.’ We knew what we needed to do.”

After surrendering 16 points in the first quarter, Terrace held the Bruins (1-14 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 4-15 overall) to just 17 for the remainder of the contest and nine in the second half.

While Sood was celebratory following the win on Friday, he couldn’t help but look ahead to what’s next for his Terrace squad, the District 1 3A Boys Basketball Tournament that begins on Feb. 7.

“They’ve done a good job defensively this season and a good job tonight,” Sood said of his team. “Now we’re going to have to dial it up a little bit as we roll into the next week and whatever lies beyond.”

The Hawks (15-0 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 19-1 overall) are the two-time defending District 1 tournament champions. Terrace will be the no.1 seed in this year’s tourney and are ranked no.1 in the state in the most-recent WIAA 3A boys basketball RPI rankings. 

Terrace’s first District 1 tourney game will be played on their home court on Feb. 9 against an opponent to be determined.

“I applaud them for what they’ve done over the past three-and-a-half months and 15 league games,” Sood said of his team, “but the record’s 0-0 now.”

Prep Boys Basketball: Mountlake Terrace at Cascade, Feb. 2

Terrace 28 12 25 16 – 78

Cascade 16   8   4   5 – 33

Mountlake Terrace individual scoring: Jaxon Dubiel 40, Zaveon Jones 14, Rayshaun Connor 8, Joe Asalifew 6, Brody Myers-Little 4, Gabe Towne 2, Svayjeet Singh 2, Don Brown 2, Logan Tews

Cascade individual scoring: Aidan Kopra 13, Mason Zimmerman 8, Zach Palmer 5, Lamin Darboe 4, Ryuhei Srivilay 2, Gavin Wright 1, Ethan Rabideau, Elliot Chatters, Noel Kisanga

Records: Mountlake Terrace 15-0 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 19-1 overall; Cascade 1-14 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 4-15 overall

Mountlake Terrace next game: versus opponent to be determined; Friday, Feb. 9; 7 p.m. at Mountlake Terrace High School (District 1 3A Boys Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game)

— Story and photos by Doug Petrowski