PUYALLUP - For the John F. Kennedy Catholic Lancers the long wait and frustration of trying to reach the state boys basketball quarterfinal round has finally ended.

With the its defense playing in stalwart fashion and senior Mitch Penner providing timely responses to the opponent's threats, the Lancers isolated SeaKing No. 5 Mercer Island 73-67 in Friday, Feb. 24, Class 3A regional action held at Rogers High School.

Behind the 29-point effort of the 6-foot-5 Penner, state sixth-ranked Kennedy (21-3) reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005 while also sending the recollections of five recent winner-to-state, loser-out games into deep memory.

Penner was also prominent as a playmaker, distributor and a defensive catalyst.

"It was a matter of my teammates doing the right things," said Penner, who started the game averaging 22 points per contest and who faced constant defensive pressure. "These last couple of games I've really been trusting my teammates and they've been proving the right thing to me. They've been knocking down shots off the double (-team). I trust them fully and I know they're going to make the right shot. I've been working on giving up the ball more.

"It's been great after four years to finally make it this far. It's finally nice to break through. Finally making it to the (Tacoma) Dome is a really great feeling. It's a huge relief, but it's not over for us."

Kennedy Catholic began the game executing its offense at optimum efficiency as Penner began the first quarter by dealing out several assists. The Lancers used great shot efficiency in converting close range shots while disrupting the Islanders on defense en route to a 17-7 lead before Mercer Island whittled the difference to six points at one point, trailing 25-17 after one quarter.

Like heavyweight boxers trading blows in front of a packed and energetic audience, the teams fought on.

Lancer freshman AJ McGrew's three-point swisher from the corner capped a Penner-led 10-0 run that sent Kennedy Catholic into a 36-22 margin with 3:34 left in the half, but the Mercer Island squad stayed competitive despite the Lancers' ability to build double-digit leads of up to 13 points throughout the encounter.

Each time JFK pulled away and threatened to blow away the persistent Islanders, Mercer Island (21-9) rallied within single-digit deficits on the basis of Lancer shots rimming out after Penner dish offs or Penner shots rolling around, but not in the hoop.

With 5:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Lancers' Penner banked home a running nine-footer while being fouled. After his converted free throw Kennedy Catholic owned a 63-54 lead.

The Islanders kept rowing back and trailed only 63-60 with 3:52 left on Brian Miller's super tip that actually went up before falling down and nestling inside the net.

As the observing crowd remained on its feet, Penner drove home a lay in 36 seconds later and later dished to a cutting Cole Madison for a lay in at 2:45 to extend the difference to 67-60.

Sam Braxton added two JFK free throws while Penner converted four three throws inside of the final 37.3 second to fend off any Islander comeback hopes, although Parker Scott's trey made the score 73-67 with 17.6 seconds left.

Madison spent much of his game time saddled with fouls, but was thankful to join in the final drive to victory with his 6-foot-6 frame.

"I trust my team to get it done," he said after scoring nine points ahead of fouling out at the end.

When the final buzzer sounded, Kennedy students and fans flooded the court with congratulatory hugs and gestures.

According to fourth-year boys head coach Don Hoffman who had a previously outstanding 12-year girls basketball coaching tenure at Kennedy Catholic, rebounding and playing tough defense were successful keys, but the feelings of the achievement were important, as well.

"This is really special, because the group of seniors I came in with," he said. "This is a great group of guys. We don't have attitude problems with these guys...In the fourth, we brought it pretty hard. Mitch is either hitting a big shot or making that key assist."

Miller used his lanky, 6-foot-7 frame for 21 Islander points. Sean Hughes added 12 points.

The Lancers open state 3A tournament action Thursday, March 1 with a 2 p.m. game against No. 1-ranked Kamiakin.