TACOMA — Zoom Diallo, the state’s top recruit in the Class of 2024, was as good as advertised.
Diallo performed at the highest level on the biggest high-schools stage even with his thoughts elsewhere. Diallo was worried about his father, Siaka, was in the hospital getting tests with a kidney condition.
Diallo scored the big baskets when needed and finished with 21 points to lead Curtis to a state-title repeat and 49-43 victory over league rival Olympia in the Class 4A state boys championship game on Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome.
The Vikings (28-3) secured back-to-back state titles after beating Mount Si 52-49 in overtime in the title game in 2022. The repeat was completed but not without a fight from South Puget Sound League 4A rival Bears (25-6).
“My Dad right is battling through something with his kidneys,” Diallo said. “He’s having kidney failure. So last night he went in for an appointment, but he was having problems with his blood pressure. It was pretty high. They said he had to stay overnight.
“He missed my game yesterday which I dedicated to him. He wasn’t at my game today. Before today’s game, I went to go see him and he told me to, ‘just put on a show for him.’ I feel like I did that.”
With Curtis clinging to a 42-41 lead, Diallo went one on one and scored through contact and a foul to give his team a three-point lead with 3:02 left in the game and the defense did the rest.
Tyce Paulsen, a Point Loma commit, did the job on Washington State University-bound Parker Gerrits, who finished with seven points on 3-of-15 shooting from the floor. The Vikings, who have four state crowns, beat the Bears for the third time in four meetings this season.
“It’s tough playing them again, man,” Diallo said. “Olympia’s a good team. Throughout the year, they showed they won pretty good games.”
The victory gave Curtis coach Tim Kelly his third state title in charge of the Vikings and his fifth overall (including two at Lincoln).
Curtis got hot from three-point range in the second quarter, taking a 24-19 lead on the strength of four treys in the opening 6:05 of the quarter, and the Vikings led 24-22 at halftime.
Andreas Engholm led Olympia with 11 points.
Curtis won two of the previous three season meetings after Olympia captured the first meeting 72-60 on Jan. 7 in a SPSL 4A game. The Vikings responded with a resounding 63-48 victory over Olympia for the SPSL 4A tournament title on Feb. 4 and hung a 52-50 decision on the Bears for a bi-district title on Feb. 18.