TACOMA — While facing multiple deficits against Eatonville in the opening round of the Class 2A girls basketball state tournament, Ridgefield sensed a comeback was in the works.
Relentless optimism — as Ridgefield coach Lauren Hefflin calls it — is the only way the Spudders know how to play.
Trailing by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter Friday at Mount Tahoma High School, Ridgefield’s 8-0 run led to a game-tying 3-point attempt, but it fell off the mark with seven seconds left. No. 11 seed Eatonville (22-4) hit a free throw on the other end and hung on for a 55-51 win over No. 14 Ridgefield (11-13) to advance to the 2A state Round of 12 in Yakima on Wednesday.
“We don’t go down without a fight,” Ridgefield senior Nora Martin said. “Especially being our last game, kind of just got to put it all out there, and (believe) in our team. Our shots just didn’t fall tonight.”
For a team that reached its second straight 2A state tournament after starting the season 0-8 with a grueling December schedule, the Spudders’ fight in Friday’s game came as no surprise to them.
“We’re gritty, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna leave it all on the court — and that’s what our team identity is,” Ridgefield senior Abigail Vance said.
They faced an immediate deficit when Eatonville’s 6-foot-4 center Lillian Bickford scored six points in the opening minutes, helping the Cruisers jump out to a 19-13 lead after one quarter.
With Eatonville’s Bickford (14 points), Bailey Andersen (19 points) and Hailey Hall (11 points) doing most of their damage in the paint, the Spudders continued to hang within single digits despite an uphill battle over four quarters.
Down by five entering the fourth, Ridgefield saw its deficit grow to nine with six minutes left when Hall grabbed an offensive rebound and putback.
“I was kind of just waiting — I was waiting for that comeback because that’s our girls’ spirit,” Hefflin said. “I knew they were going to come back. It’s hard when you don’t hit those shots you normally hit, and it’s hard to be resilient through that and not let that deflate you. It took them a little bit longer to not be deflated … and then they realized it’s our defense that got us here.”
Like clockwork, Ridgefield made its move by forcing multiple turnovers and holding Eatonville scoreless for a two-and-a-half minute stretch, during which the Spudders scored eight straight with a 3-pointer from Josie Hicks and back-to-back baskets from Madison Ingham, bringing Ridgefield within 49-48 with under four minutes left.
But, just seconds later, Ingham, Ridgefield’s leading scorer with 15 points, picked up her fifth foul and was forced to exit early.
“That’s tough,” Vance said. “Madison is a great player, a sophomore to win first team all-league. We love her.”
With Ingham and Martin fouling out, Hefflin lauded the Spudders’ bench contributions, particularly senior Baylee Bushnell, who hit a jumper with a minute left to get the Spudders within three.
“A big part of our mantra over the season has been relentless optimism,” Hefflin said. “Understanding (we’ve) got to go, we’ve got to be thinking what’s happening next is best.”
Ridgefield’s bounce-back season to reach state, on the heels of last year’s run to the 2A state Round of 12, was a testament to the team’s senior leadership and underclassmen’s workmanlike efforts, Hefflin said. That combination fostered a competitive atmosphere in practices and allowed the Spudders to make incremental improvements.
“0-8 to state … it’s crazy, like, I think no one really believed in us and it was just us (and) our coaches,” Vance said. “We took it on and said, ‘OK, get better today. One game at a time.’ And it was just kind of stacking that confidence and we kept on pushing. This team is a great team.”
The Spudders enjoyed their time together off the court too.
“The people are just such a difference-maker and the family bond that you create, they just make you love the sport even more,” Martin said.
Seniors Vance, Martin and Bushnell were also teammates on the Ridgefield girls soccer team’s back-to-back state championship runs.
“This team was like none other,” Vance added. “We all love our coaches … and Nora, we’ve been playing soccer, basketball, everything together. So, to do it four years in a row, it’s been a great ride and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
EATONVILLE 55, RIDGEFIELD 51
RIDGEFIELD — Abigail Vance 6, Sava Chanda 7, Madison Ingham 15, Nora Martin 8, Baylee Bushnell 4, Allie Doman 2, Josie Hicks 4. Totals 19 (4) 4-14 51.
EATONVILLE — Alayna Meyer 3, Miley King 0, Jordyn Green 2, Hailey Hall 11, Sadie Mettler 2, Lillian Bickford 16, Bailey Andersen 19, Tialeani Schanbeck 2. Totals 23 (1) 8-15 55.
Ridgefield 13 16 11 11—51
Eatonville 19 14 12 10—55
