PARKLAND – Columbia River girls basketball coach Carl Click had originally scheduled his team’s season-ending banquet for next Tuesday.
Instead, it will be a sendoff celebration. Columbia River is headed to the state tournament for the first time since 1998.
River clinched a berth in the regional round of the state tournament by beating Hazen 50-42 on Thursday.
The win at Washington High School south of Tacoma clinches a spot in the consolation final of the Class 3A District 3-4 tournament.
More importantly, the win secured one the tournament’s six berths to state. A loss Thursday would have ended River’s season.
Now River has ended a state tournament drought older than most of the girls on the team. It’s going to be a fun non-season-ending banquet next week.
“How cool is it going to be to give them their certificates and letters and say ‘OK folks, now they’re going to state,’” Click said.
When Teaghan Cowles was a freshman, River hadn’t won a game the previous season. Thursday, the senior was a key reason the Chieftains (14-10) will be among the final 16 teams playing this season.
Cowles had seven steals to lead a frenetic defensive effort that forced 30 turnovers for Hazen (18-6).
“Columbia River prides itself on its defense,” she said. “We pressured and forced a lot of turnovers, which helped us have a lot more chances to score. Our defense really won the game for us.”
Kate Kraft brought defensive pressure and a scoring touch. The junior had five steals and a game-high 17 points. She scored nine consecutive points for River in the first half, which ended with the Chieftains ahead 19-18.
Hazen scored the first five points of the second half to gain momentum.
But River struck back with sophomore Gabrielle Collins, who scored all nine of her team’s points during the first five minutes of the third quarter.
“Those got us in the flow and we got all pumped for her,” Kraft said. “We rose on that occasion.”
As their spirits went up, the Chieftains’ defense clamped down. River went on a 13-1 run to take a 37-26 lead with six minutes to play.
“Pressure from our defense on their ballhandlers was the key, and we knew that going in,” Click said. “We don’t always press to create turnovers. But in this case we needed to do that. And boy did they.”
Hazen spent much of the fourth quarter fouling to try and chip away at the lead. But River made 10 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter and never saw the lead shrink to less than five.
When the final horn sounded, Click gave an enthusiastic fist-pump while his players hugged. Despite making four trips to the Tacoma area over seven days, Cowles promised that nobody would sleep on the bus ride home Thursday.
“These kids really like each other and they have a blast together,” Click said. “That just appears in the way they play.”
River will make another trip north on Saturday for the consolation final at Rogers High School in Puyallup against either Sumner or Auburn Mountainview.
That game will decide the tournament’s No. 5 and No. 6 seeds to state, which begins the following weekend.
“We have the coaching, we have the mentality, we have the talent,” Cowles said. “Columbia River basketball has gone to an amazing place, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
COLUMBIA RIVER 50, HAZEN 42
COLUMBIA RIVER (14-10) – Ellie Furth 0, Maddie Kessi 0, Kate Kraft 17, Teaghan Cowles 12, Gabrielle Collins 11, Katie Kolbe 5, Yaiydenn Lopez-Perez 0, Emma Fisk 5. Totals 17 (3) 13-22 50.
HAZEN (18-6) – Hairston 6, Rogers 2, Dumas 9, Santos 4, Dickinson 0, Browne 0, Johnson 9, Coe 12. Totals 14 (5) 9-15 42.
Col. River 11 8 13 18 — 50
Hazen 11 7 8 16 — 42
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