RIDGEFIELD — Most of the Woodland girls team was in elementary school the last time the Beavers made it to the 2A Girls Basketball State Tournament.
But that 11-year streak ended Wednesday after Woodland defeated Mark Morris 50-45 to punch its ticket to state for the first time since 2014.
The win means the Beavers are one of three 2A GSHL teams that will see first round state action, along with Columbia River and Ridgefield.
“It means a lot,” senior Addi Stading said. “I haven’t gone yet my whole four years so it’s pretty exciting.”
Woodland had to work for its third win over the Monarchs in as many tries this season. That may not have seemed the case to start, as the Beavers raced out to a 15-4 first quarter lead paced by six points from Bockert and four from Lainey Haden.
But Mark Morris flipped the script in a chaotic and physical second quarter, scoring nine straight points over a 5-minute period to whittle the lead to 15-13.
Woodland got six more points to close the half and took a 21-15 lead into halftime.
Again, the Monarchs were ready when the intermission curtains lifted. Consecutive threes tied the game 21-21 and set a theme for the final 16 minutes in which Mark Morris hit six of its eight threes for the game.
And again, Woodland responded. Stading hit back-to-back triples of her own to push the Beavers back in front 31-25.
Mark Morris threw another haymaker with two more threes from Reese Johnston and Kadence Gorans and cut Woodland’s lead to 33-31 heading into the final quarter.
Woodland pushed its lead back to 40-34 thanks to a couple buckets in the paint from Bockert and timely defense from Makynzie Guthrie, then responded to a Johnston layup with baskets from Carly Coltrin and Haden.
Another Bockert layup gave Woodland a 48-42 lead with 1:31 left that gave the Beavers enough breathing room to eventually exhale the relief of victory.
Woodland was led by Bockert’s 20 points and 19 rebounds. Haden added 11 points and Stading had nine points for the Beavers.
Gorans led Mark Morris with 17 points.
The game may have been decided at the foul line, where Woodland converted 12 of its 22 opportunities and Mark Morris was just 3-for-13.
“We shoot a lot of free throws at practice,” Stading said. “(You have to) know what you’re gonna do when you go up there, know your routine, breathe, and shoot it.”
That helped Woodland overcome Mark Morris’s three-point torrent.
“We had to play tougher defense in this game than we had in the other games,” Bockert said. “We just had to stay calm and stay slow through everything, not lose our cool.”
Woodland will learn its first-round opponent on Sunday.
WOODLAND 50, MARK MORRIS 45
MARK MORRIS—Reese Johnston 13, Kiki Makaiwi 11, Kea Makaiwi 4, Raelie Guizzotti 0, Kadence Gorans 17, Ashlyn Cole 0, Paisley Fraidenburg 0. Totals 15 (8) 3-13 45.
WOODLAND—Addi Stading 9, Kennedy Bockert 20, Emma Barrow 0, Addison Christensen 0, Lainey Haden 11, Liberty Christopherson 4, Carly Coltrin 3, Makynzie Guthrie 3. Totals 16 (2) 12-22 50.
Mark Morris 4 11 16 14—45
Woodland 15 6 12 17—50
