TACOMA – Kolby Arendse likes playing at the top of the Burlington-Edison basketball team’s defense, harassing opponents before they can get set in their offense.

“It makes it like I’m still playing quarterback,” Arendse said. “That’s my position.”

Arendse and the Tiger defense disrupted Cheney into 26 turnovers Thursday, turning many into breakaway layups on the way to a 62-51 quarterfinal victory over the Blackhawks at the Class 2A state tournament.

The victory moves the Tigers (23-2) halfway to their goal of a state title. They will face Port Townsend (23-1), a 53-47 overtime victor over River Ridge, in a semifinal at 8:30 p.m. today. Ephrata and Mark Morris face off in the other semifinal.

“This is what it’s all about,” Arendse said. “This is where we want to be.”

Of course, shooting 68 percent from the field in the second half didn’t hurt the Tigers’ cause.

“I thought we attacked their zone a lot better,” Tigers coach Rick Skeen said. “We were turning the ball over too much (in the first half).”

And it didn’t hurt that after a three-point first half leading scorer Jake Anderson took over in the second. The 6-foot-6 senior scored 18 after the break to finish with a game-high 21 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

“It was kind of slow in the first half,” said Anderson, who picked up two quick fouls and sat much of the first quarter. “We didn’t get the ball into the post well and attack the basket. The second half we got it going.”

Arendse added 17 points and was credited with six steals, many as he harassed those with the ball well above the normal point of attack.

Three of the steals came in the first quarter, though the Tigers had trouble finishing the breaks and trailed 18-13 going into the second quarter. They regained the lead by the latter portions of the second quarter, and gradually pulled away in the second half.

“We could have done a better job (handling the pressure),” Cheney coach Ryan Fitzgerald said. “There were some mistakes we made, but we played a heck of a defensive team.”

The Tigers’ sophomore trio of Evan Coulter, Colin Stewart and Joel Conijn did the rest.

Coulter broke down the Cheney defense off the dribble, scoring nine points with three assists. Stewart nailed 3-of-4 from 3-point range on his way to 11 points. And Conijn came off the bench to take over Arendse’s spot at the top of the defense, allowing the senior to drop into the post and help on the glass.

Griffon Jones led Cheney with 18 points and nine rebounds. At times, he was a handful on the offensive glass.

“They really get it to their big guy,” Arendse said, referring to the 6-7 Jones. “You’ve got to step up physically and get the big rebound. That was the No. 1 key on our board coming in.”

Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at