YAKIMA – Sometimes, it’s as simple as making shots.

Four days after third-seeded Royal suffered through its worst offensive output of the season, the Knights opened the Class 1A boys state basketball tournament breaking in the nets.

Royal shot a robust 57% percent in the first half, an even 50% for the game, and cruised to a 61-33 victory against Overlake on Wednesday morning in the Yakima Valley SunDome.

The Knights (22-4), fifth place here a year ago, advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals, where they’ll meet No. 5 Annie Wright (16-9) in another 9 a.m. contest.

At a time when many teens are still wiping the sleep out of their eyes, Royal was ready to after falling to No. 6 King's 48-47 on Saturday.

“Our main message was our intensity has to be good especially at 9 a.m.” said junior Grant Wardenaar, who led the Knights with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, and pulled down 10 rebounds, also a contest best.

“I feel like mentally over the past few days, we decided to focus on our shots and take it more seriously,” the SCAC MVP said. “Heading into tomorrow we’re in a good spot and it was good for the whole team to see shots go down.”

Fellow 11th-grader Dax Jenks made 5 of 6 from the field and had 10 points for Royal, which led by 18 at halftime, 23 going into the fourth quarter, and was able to rest its starters in the fourth.

Only Wardenaar, who also had five assists, played more than 20 minutes, and he sat for more than a quarter of game time.

The Knights held the Owls to less than 20 percent shooting, and controlled the boards, 48-30.

Jenks had seven rebounds, and Gordan Fielding and Anderson Brown each had six.

Brown also had seven points, as did Graham Palmer.

Royal coach Tim Ravet chalked it up to focus, and Wednesday being the Knights’ day.

"You’re either a good shooter or you’re not, that isn’t going to change in a day or two,” he said. “Maybe we didn’t come in totally focused (Saturday) and it’s all about concentration in shooting.”

A victory Thursday would give the Knights their second straight trip to the semifinals.