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The Lake Roosevelt Raiders took fourth in the WIAA Hardwood Classic state basketball tournament at Spokane Arena Saturday, accomplishing a preseason goal of placing better than last year's sixth place at state.

Lake Roosevelt played a tight game against the Wahkiakum Mules March 4, in which the Raiders came from behind to win at the last second.

The Mules led 17-10 after the first quarter, and 35-27 at the half.

In the second half, the Raiders staged a comeback, taking the lead 47-44 in the third quarter when they outscored the Mules 20-9.

The fourth quarter saw the Mules and Raiders take turns in the lead, with the Raiders' Soarin' Marchand hitting a three in the final seconds to go up 62-59 for the win.

Sam Wapato led the Raiders with 18 points.

The next day, March 5, the Raiders lost 57-46 against Life Christian Academy.

That loss sent the Raiders to face off with the Liberty Lancers March 6.

The Lancers, from Spangle, were the top seed out of 16 teams in the tournament in which LR was ranked sixth.

The Raiders led 35-30 at the half, and pulled off an upset victory, defeating Liberty 63-61.

Wapato and Cameron St. Pierre led the Raiders with 13 points apiece.

Jonathan Cante added 12 points, and Soarin' Marchand scored seven.

The win sent Lake Roosevelt to play Saturday morning for fourth or sixth place against a team that had defeated them a week earlier at the regional tournament in Longview, where the Toutle Lake Ducks won 59-43.

Sam Wapato three point attempt. - Scott Hunter photos

But the Raiders won the March 7 game, 49-46, to place fourth in the 2B bracket of the Hardwood Classic state tournament.

The Raiders led 25-23 at the half, and the game was tied 39-39 going into the third quarter, in which the Raiders scored 10 points to the Ducks' seven to pull off the victory and take fourth.

Wapato led the Raiders with 15 points, with Marchand throwing down 12, including making three baskets from three-point land. Adam George scored eight, and St. Pierre and Tyler Jordan each scored seven.

St. Pierre pulled down six rebounds for the Raiders.

The Raiders' Central Washington 2B league rivals, the Brewster Bears, placed first in the tournament, defeating Life Christian Academy 58-57.