SPOKANE VALLEY – The Washougal girls basketball team didn’t always have its shots fall on Saturday.
But the Panthers did have their high-intensity defense.
And despite having won 13 straight games, Washougal had an underdog mentality.
All that allowed Washougal to knock off No. 2 ranked East Valley-Spokane 52-45 in the regional round of the 2A state tournament at University High.
The No. 7 Panthers (21-4) clinched a berth in the state quarterfinals Thursday in Yakima. East Valley (19-4) falls into an elimination game Wednesday.
It’s the fourth straight trip to state for the Panthers, who have now reached the quarterfinals three of the past four years.
And while Washougal has one of the state’s top players in Idaho-bound senior Beyonce Bea, the Panthers are flourishing with three freshman and a sophomore playing heavy minutes.
“We’ve proved so many people wrong,” said senior guard Kiara Cross. “We’ve even proved ourselves wrong, in a way. We’re doing what nobody thought we could do and it feels awesome. We’re riding this wave together, as a team, as sisters.”
Bea scored a game-high 22 points. But the star was Washougal’s defense, which held East Valley to a season-low in points, 16 below its average.
That defense also kept Washougal in the game when shots weren’t falling. Both teams struggled from the field in the first half, which ended with East Valley ahead 20-19. Freshman Sammy Mederos had two 3-pointers to keep the Panthers close.
“We just kept our head up and kept shooting,” junior forward McKinley Stotts said. “We knew that eventually the buckets would fall because offense comes from defense.”
Facing double-teams and defenders that denied her the ball, Bea finally heated up in the third quarter. She scored seven points within one minute to give Washougal a 29-27 lead, its first since early in the game.
Washougal also began to control the boards and smother physical senior post Genesis Wilkinson, who scored 19 points.
“We rotated really well and had good help,” Stotts said. “They had a really good big girl in there. She got on the boards a lot, but in the second half we boxed out really well.”
Washougal took control early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Skylar Bea had a three-point play followed by 3-pointers by freshman Jaiden Bea and Beyonce Bea on consecutive possessions.
That gave Washougal a 44-35 lead for forced East Valley into desperation mode. Washougal maintained its cushion at the foul line, hitting 10 of 12 free throws in the final quarter.
Now Washougal is headed to Yakima, where the Panthers hope to top their best finish of fourth place in 2016.
A fourth straight trip to Yakima cements a legacy for seniors Bea, Cross and Ashley Gibbons. It also lays a strong foundation for a young roster with seven underclassmen.
“It’s unreal, especially for the freshmen to have this experience,” Cross said. “When the seniors are gone, everybody know what this drive takes and how much work goes into it.”
WASHOUGAL 52, EAST VALLEY-SPOKANE 45
WASHOUGAL – Kiara Cross 2, Jaiden Bea 7, Savea Mansfield 3, Beyonce Bea 22, McKinley Stotts 2, Ashley Gibbons 2, Sammy Mederos 6, Skylar Bea 8. Totals 15 (4) 18-24 52.
EAST VALLEY-SPOKANE – Genesis Wilkinson 19, Mataya Green 4, Holly Flynn 4, Destiny Hillyard 0, Ellie Stowell 0, Brie Holecek 6, Hannah Rowland 0, Faith Adams 12. Totals 17 (2) 9-15 45.
Washougal 11 8 14 19—52
E.Valley 10 10 13 12—45
