LONGVIEW — When Woodland High girls basketball teams reach the Yakima Valley SunDome, good things tend to happen.
Under longtime coach Glen Flanagan, the Beavers have five state trophies. Four came in a span from 2001-06 back when all classifications had its traditional 16-team, double-elimination tournament.
For the first time since it last earned a state trophy (seventh) in 2006, the Beavers are headed back to Yakima after Saturday’s convincing 59-26 victory over Sultan in their Class 2A girls Opening Round game at Mark Morris High School.
“I feel like it’s satisfying, in a way,” said senior point guard Addi Stading, “because we worked so hard in the off-season. Last year, we weren’t the best and coming back and being able to make it (to the dome) is great.”
After falling behind 2-0, it was all Woodland (19-6) after that. A combination of Kennedy Bockert (game-best 25 points, 10 rebounds) in the paint, perimeter shooting from Stading (6 points, 7 assists) and Lainey Haden (12 points, 4 steals), and a heavy dose of Beaver defense sealed it.
This week marked Woodland’s first state appearance in 11 years. In 2013, Woodland’s lone loss in a 22-1 campaign came at regionals.
Now, the Beavers can look forward to Yakima. It faces Bainbridge, which fell to top-seeded Lynden, at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Saturday against Sultan, defense is what helped set the tone early, Bockert said.
“I feel like we did really good on defense,” the sophomore forward said. “Our press started working in the second half and our shots were going in at the beginning.”
Bockert had 14 of Woodland’s 16 second-quarter points as it pushed the tempo and held a 33-12 halftime advantage. It didn’t slow down to open the second half, either. The Beavers used a quick 9-3 run to open the third and a host of steals led to a 30-point lead at 45-15 after a corner 3 by Haden (12 points). In all, the Beavers finished with 18 steals.
With Woodland’s size advantage, Bockert finished 10 of 20 from the floor, and five of her 10 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Stading said when Bockert gets going down low, the offense comes to life.
“It just flows,” she said. “Get it to Kennedy, and it’s a bucket. It’s just fun and easy.”
While Flanagan believed his team could have played even better in its 31-point win, he likes what he sees going into Wednesday behind what he called a quality effort against Sultan.
Since 2007, multiple teams from District IV have hoisted the gold ball at the Yakima Valley SunDome: River Ridge, Mark Morris, and W.F. West. Getting out of the district tournament itself is no easy chore.
That’s why Saturday’s victory feels even sweeter for the Beavers.
“We’ve got good teams (in our district), so this means a lot,” Flanagan said. “You have to get lucky. You have to have talent, you’ve got to get breaks, you have to get a good draw.”
—
WOODLAND 59, SULTAN 28
SULTAN — Shyann Rylah 6, Ranah Rylan 14, Wendy Asper 4, Gaby Yepez-Suarez 4. Totals 10 (5) 3-4 28.
WOODLAND — Addi Stading 6, Kennedy Bockert 25, Haley Strickland 2, Addi Christensen 2, Liberty Christopherson 7, Kynzie Guthrie 5, Lainey Haden 12, Carly Coltrin 0, Madison Walker 0, Kaylynn McSmith 0. Totals 23 (7) 6-15 59.
Sultan 4 8 11 5 – 28
Woodland 17 16 20 6 – 59
