The Skyview girls basketball team looks at a picture of an empty trophy case every day in the locker room.
That case won’t be empty for long.
The Skyview Storm avenged last year’s loss in the district title game to Evergreen by beating the Plainsmen 64-49 Monday night, clinching the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League title — and with it the district championship.
“That was our inspiration this year,” Brooke Bowen said, referring to that picture, that memory from 2010.
Skyview improved to 10-1 in league play with one more to play. Evergreen fell to 9-3, second place.
The Plainsmen will take on third-place Battle Ground on Friday in a one-game playoff for the league’s second seed to the bi-district tournament. Skyview, as the top seed, earns the district championship and a free trip to the bi-district tournament.
The Storm made it happen Monday with defense and a passing game that would make any coach proud.
“I’m extremely proud of my kids,” Skyview coach Jennifer Buscher said. “Great players make coaches look awfully good.”
Larissa Hamilton had what she described as her best game of the season, with 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Storm. She and fellow post Katie Swanson (11 points) did their jobs in the paint, and Delaney Keser (14 points) took care of business from downtown, nailing four 3-pointers.
“It was just a game full of heart,” Hamilton said. “This is a reward for all our hard work this year.”
The Storm opened the second half on a 14-1 run to take a 17-point advantage. Keser had two of her 3-pointers during that stretch.
Keser said the Storm are well aware that Evergreen is a second-half team. So they came out in the third quarter on a mission.
“We could shut them down and show them we’re here for the second half,” she said.
Accomplished.
Evergreen’s in-your-face defense gave Skyview a problem every once in a while, but Buscher would call a timeout to settle her squad.
“She just told us to play how we know how to play,” Hamilton said.
“I just think we wanted it more,” Swanson added. “We just showed more composure.”
There was no Evergreen run in the fourth quarter. That composure Swanson spoke of resulted in breaking the press with lay-ups after finding the open player. Bowen had six assists to go with her nine points, while Swanson, a 6-foot-2 post, had five dimes.
Then there was the Skyview defense, which rarely gave Evergreen an open shot.
“We had to shut down Justine Joudrey,” Bowen said. “We focused on shutting her down and making somebody else score.”
That plan worked. Joudrey, a who has signed with Division I program Idaho State, was in foul trouble all night and did not score until the third quarter.
As a team, Evergreen shot 24 percent from the floor.
“We’ve been a solid defensive team all year long, and defense won this game tonight,” Buscher said.
The Storm have a lot of respect for Joudrey and the Plainsmen. Now that they do not have to play the Plainsmen again, the Storm hope Evergreen can make a run in the playoffs, too.
“We wish Evergreen the best of luck, and we wish Justine the best of luck in her college years,” Hamilton said.
Swanson, Keser, and Bowen are juniors who have now won three consecutive league titles, along with the team’s lone senior, Sarah Mason.
The Storm also had a couple of freshmen who did their jobs, too. Bowen praised the play of guards Stephanie McDonagh and Emily Dobbin, who handled Evergreen’s intense defense.
Jessica Chatman led Evergreen with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Shamerica Scott added 11 points and 10 boards, and Joudrey ended up with 10 points.
The game was close throughout the first half, with the biggest lead being four points for each team. Skyview, though, became the second-half team this night, and Evergreen never recovered.
Next for the Storm is getting that trophy back in their case.
