Former Saint Martin's standout Brandon Hartley shot an efficient 78 percent from the floor as the Bellingham Slam defeated the King County Royals, 119-107, in a spirited ABA contest at the Wellness Center at North Seattle Community College Sunday night.
Hartley, who scored 35 points in the game, was surpassed in scoring only by Mike Parker, an ex-Evergreen State player, who notched 37 points for the Slam. The duo helped Bellingham (7-3) to their sixth victory in seven games, after starting the season 1-2.
The Slam led for nearly the entire game, though they were unable to shake the Royals until the dying moments of the game. After taking a 12-point lead into halftime, at 57-45, Bellingham extended their lead to 22 on a Parker putback with 4:47 left in the game. But King County would not go away easily, as they went on a 20-3 run in the next four minutes.
The run, which included four consecutive three-pointers by the Royals (1-4), brought the deficit down to five with 29 seconds left in the game. However, Bellingham was able to convert its free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.
King County was led in scoring by Vershan Cottrell, who scored 28 points, including six three-pointers. He was followed closely by Randy Green, who added 25.
Both the Royals and Slam await the Tijuana Dragons for their next home games. Tijuana will visit King County on Dec. 20 and Bellingham on Dec. 21.
