ROCHESTER — The Forks girls basketball team is in the semifinals of the District 4 2B tournament after beating Onalaska in overtime 44-40.
Forks (12-9) will next play Napavine (16-4), the No. 2-ranked 2B team in the state in Ratings Percentage Index, at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Kelso High School. Win and Forks moves on to the state tournament. If Forks loses, the Spartans remain alive with another chance to qualify for state in the consolation bracket.
The Spartans got a measure of revenge on Onalaska, which beat the Spartans twice earlier this year by relatively large margins of 64-40 and 55-30.
Coach David Hurn said the team has improved greatly since those games.
“We knew they would pressure us and challenge us,” Hurn said. “We schedule a tough nonleague schedule on purpose.”
The Spartans went into the final period down 33-29, but held Onalaska to just three points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime.
The Spartans had good balance with five players scoring at least five points. Bailey Johnson led the team with 12, while Karee Neel had 10, Fynlie Peters eight and Brooklyn Rondeau seven.
“Fynlie and Karee hit some timely threes in the fourth quarter and overtime when we needed them,” Hurn said.
Hurn said this is an easier path to state the Forks girls have had in a while.
“We’re on the right side of the bracket for once. We’re excited for it. We’re excited for the opportunity,” he said.
Forks 44, Onalaska 40, OT
Forks 10 9 9 10 7 8 — 44
Ona. 10 10 13 3 — 40
Forks (44) — Johnson 12, Neel 10, Peters 8, Rondeau 7, Crowder 5, Dilley 2.
Quilcene 37, Redeemer Christ. 27
QUILCENE — The Quilcene girls basketball team grabbed the last Sea-Tac berth in the 1B Tri-District tournament with a 37-27 victory over Redeemer Christian.
This will be Quilcene’s first trip to Tri-District since 2019.
Quilcene had a 22-9 lead at halftime and stretched the lead to 17 points before Redeemer Christian went on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to seven with three minutes to play.
The Rangers’ Charlotte Fay hit a couple of clutch free throws, and Brylee Evans found Cora Canterbury under the basket late in the game for a decisive basket, according to coach Mark Thompson.
“Other than that five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter, where we went deer in the headlights mode, we played extremely well,” Thompson said. “Redeemer wants nothing more than to beat Quilcene, not sure why, but they always bring their ‘A’ game against us and we handled it well. Making it to districts is a good accomplishment for this team.”
Quilcene (16-5), a No. 8 seed, will host Lopez Island (11-7) on Saturday. The time has not been set.
Both the Crescent and Neah Bay girls are also in the Tri-District tournament.
Crescent (9-9) will play at Concrete (17-6) on Saturday. Neah Bay (18-2), the three-time defending state champion and No. 1-ranked team in the state, has a first-round bye and will host the winner of the Quilcene/Lopez game on Tuesday.
Seedings have not been set yet for the 1B Tri-District boys tournament.
In other games Tuesday, Seattle Christian edged East Jefferson 36-29 and the Seattle Christian boys beat East Jefferson 72-20. The East Jefferson girls beat Life Christian 55-33 this weekend while the boys beat Life Christian 74-67.
Quilcene 37, Redeemer Chr. 27
RC 5 4 4 10 — 27
Quil. 8 14 6 9 — 37
Quilcene (37) — Brianne Evans 12, Greene 7, Foreman 2, Fay, Brylee Evans 6, C. Canterbury 6, T. Canterbury 2.
