TACOMA — As a friend, Maggie Wells thought Courtney Clemmer was nuts.
As a teammate, she thought the fellow senior’s gutsy effort was courageous, especially for the team’s sake.
“I’m so proud of her,” Wells said, “and stepping through the pain and making it through.”
Never before in her four-year basketball career at Camas has Clemmer missed a game because of injury. And she wasn’t about to even after seeing four doctors and specialists in a 24-hour window for her ailing back.
But the good news about winning a 4A girls bi-district quarterfinal — which Camas did Saturday defeating Rogers of Puyallup 56-46 to clinch a spot in 4A regional round of state — is rest. The Papermakers (15-6) don’t play again until Thursday, when they meet Kentridge in the bi-district semifinals at 7:45 p.m. in Puyallup.
Saturday’s win also makes the pain and discomfort level not as bad, Clemmer said.
“It’s all worth it,” she said.
Clemmer finished with 10 points on 5 of 9 shooting Saturday at Mount Tahoma High School, three days after the 4A Greater St. Helens League MVP tweaked her back in the opening minute of the bi-district win Wednesday at home.
Clemmer called the injury a muscle spasm, and whether or not she’d suit up Saturday ultimately came down to a game-time decision.
She gave Coach Scott Preuninger the OK to be inserted into the starting lineup. In the summer, Clemmer said she unknowingly played basketball for two months on a fractured foot that’s since healed.
So what’s one 32-minute game, she thought?
“We were just going to go for it,” Clemmer said. “If it’s going to hurt, it’s going to hurt on the bench today or at practice on Monday.”
And others stepped up, too, to give Clemmer an assist. Most notably was Marianna Payne and Wells, who each had eight rebounds apiece. Clemmer had six in addition two blocks.
Wells is an undersized post at 5-foot-8, and earned a spot on the varsity roster last year as a junior because of her hustle, defense and rebounding. It might have taken all of last season to figure out her role, she said, but now, she’s been consistent in the starting lineup.
“This is who I had to become for our team,” Wells said, “I had to be the strong rebounder, the person to make those passes out to get our shooter to shoot the 3s. And with Courtney’s injury and how important this game is, I knew this is what I have to be and I had to do it.”
That was noticeable Saturday. Wells also had four points — both field goals came in the fourth quarter when a once seven-point lead for the Papermakers was dwindled down to a one-possession game twice by Rogers (15-9) over the final 4 minutes.
Both times came on points by Raigan Barrett, Rogers’ sophomore guard and a University of Washington softball commit. Barrett had a game-high 31 in a 50-48 loss to Prairie earlier this month, and her free throws with 2:11 to go made pulled the Rams within three of Camas at 44-41.
But free throws, too, aided the Papermakers. They hit 22 of 31 at the line, led by Brooklyn Pascua’s perfect 8 of 8. Haley Hanson led Camas with 11 points.
CAMAS 56, ROGERS (PUYALLUP) 46
Rogers — Raigan Barrett 12, Allyson Pettit 0, Ellie Hamel 11, Jazmyne Lillie 7, Avery Campbell 5, Maddie Egan 4, Sophie Wicker 7. Totals 17 (3) 9-15 46.
Camas — Jordyn Wilds 3, Jillian Webb 7, Haley Hanson 11, Brooklyn Pascua 10, Faith Bergstrom 0, Marianna Payne 10, Maggie Wells 4, Jalena Carlisle 2, Courtney Clemmer 10. Totals 19 (4) 22-31 56.
Rogers 11 6 9 20 – 46
Camas 10 11 10 25 – 56
BELLARMINE PREP 57, UNION 25 — Coach Mike Cranston called the Titans’ bi-district quarterfinal loss an eye-opener for a Titans program making its first bi-district appearance since the 2012-13 season.
Union (14-6) now faces Tahoma in a 6 p.m. Tuesday loser-out game at Tacoma’s Stadium High School.
In the first half Saturday, the Lions had 14 offensive rebounds, yet Union trailed by 10 at halftime.
“We had a good gameplan going in,” Cranston said. “Physically, they were pretty overwhelming for us. There’s only so much we can do.”
Six-foot-1 forward Shalyse Smith, an Arizona State signee, finished with 15 points to lead Bellarmine, but Union did hold the senior to without a field goal in the first half.
That changed with 3:20 left in the third as Smith scored six straight Bellarmine points to make it a 34-17 lead.
Mason Oberg led Union with nine points.
BELLARMINE PREP 57, UNION 25
Union — Alexis Raymore 1, Mason Oberg 9, Toryi Midland 5, Rebekah Barney 2, Abbey Keip 2, MacKenzie Lewis 4, Courtney Cranston 0, Kaneyl Carpenter 2. Totals 8 (1) 8-14 25.
Bellarmine Prep — Caitie Burns 1, Jenny Hagle 5, Shalyse Smith 15, Reyelle Frazier 13, Makiah Reed 6, Julia Bordeaux 5, Maggie Smith 6, Ciara Gatpapan 6. Totals 21 (3) 12-21 57.
Union 7 5 7 6 – 25
Bell 8 14 17 18 – 57
