YAKIMA – The third-seeded Royal boys basketball team can sleep in Friday.

The Knights have more than earned it.

Already slotted into the 9 a.m. tip-off Wednesday,  because of  the opening victory Royal remained the first game Thursday in the Yakima Valley SunDome on Thursday.

After Thursday’s performance against No. 4 Annie Wright, the SCAC power might just want to take the court as early as possible Friday.

The Knights limited the defending champions to a season-low in a 63-37 thumping to advance to the state semifinals for the second straight year. They’ll meet SCAC rival and top-seeded Zillah at 3:45 p.m. Friday.

It’ll be the fourth meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Leopards winning all three matchups, twice in the final seconds.

“It’s been pretty good to us,” first-year Royal coach Tim Ravet said of the 9 o’clock games. “You get a lot more thoughts in your head when you sit around.”

It’s the Knights’ defensive effort that’ll stick in the heads of the Gators, and anybody else who watched.

Annie Wright star freshman James Thomas – the son of Tacoma legend Isaiah Thomas, the former University of Washington and NBA star – was held to six points by Royal junior Dax Jenks, and Major Andra when Jenks checked out.

“He’s a shifty player,” Jenks said. “He knows what he’s doing and honestly I was looking for the opportunity to push myself and I felt I was able to stop him.”

Ravet couldn’t have been more impressed by Jenks’ effort.

“Awesome, totally awesome,” he said. “He knew how to get into him. but also keep him in front and take the right angles, so when he did try to go he was always in front and made him feel like there’s always someone in his face.”

Manny Ruvalcaba took care of the Gators’ top big, holding Austin Collins scoreless.

The Knights’ 6-foot-4 junior also was a force on the boards, pulling down 10 rebounds – seven on the offensive end – to go along with his 10 points.

Jenks and SCAC MVP Grant Wardenaar matched each other with a game-high 14 points.

Wardnenaar had four of Royal’s 12 steals, as Annie Wright turned it over 22 times.

Royal (23-4) led 25-19 at halftime, before shooting nearly 47% after intermission, and pulling away.

“We came prepared every game with the right mindset,” Jenks said. “I think this was our best route even though we lost to King’s. It opened our hearts and we realized we have to dig deeper if we want to do what we’re capable of doing.”