The Port Angeles girls basketball team lost a heartbreaker in overtime Thursday to slip to a loser-out consolation semifinal game today against Burlington-Edison in the Class 2A state championships.
The Neah Bay boys basketball team, meanwhile, is still alive and on track for a state title after dispatching Mount Rainier Lutheran in the 1B state tournament Thursday morning.
Lynden 46,
PA 43, OT
YAKIMA — The Roughriders went ahead by seven early like they did in the regionals but couldn’t hold on against a much taller Lynden team Thursday morning in the quarterfinals at Yakima Valley SunDome.
“If you look up ‘heartbreaker’ in the dictionary, that was this game,” Port Angeles coach Michael Poindexter said.
The Riders (18-9) were up 13-8 after one quarter, 22-19 at the break and 30-27 after three.
Frazier bomb
The fourth quarter went back and forth until the Lions were ahead 38-36 late in the game.
Maddy Hinrichs passed to Mariah Frazier with six seconds left.
Frazier turned, went up in the air and hit a 15- to 16-foot hook shot to tie the game at 38-all.
“A funny thing about that shot is that Mariah and Kathryn Moseley practice 3-point hook shots before each practice,” Poindexter said.
All that practice paid off.
The Lions (19-8) never got a shot off before the buzzer.
Overtime is where the heart-breaking came in.
Down 42-39, Kiah Jones took an inbounds pass and swished in a 3-pointer to apparently tie the game.
Except the referees waved off the basket.
That’s because Macy Walker, setting up a screen for Jones, was run over by a Lynden player just before Jones released the ball.
Walker picked up the foul, Jones lost the basket and the Riders lost a point as Walker hit both free throws to get Port Angeles to within a point.
The Riders never got any closer than that.
“That play hurt because all the kids thought the game was tied,” Poindexter said.
“It took a lot out of us.”
Still, it was a matter of an inch or less at the end.
Down 46-40, Walker nailed a 3-pointer to get within three.
Then at the buzzer, Frazier let go of a shot from three-quarters court that hit the front rim but didn’t bounce in.
Jones ended up with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds.
Walker and Shayla Northern both had outstanding games for the Riders off the bench, Poindexter said.
“They were stellar off the bench.
“Shayla had four rebounds and she worked so hard on defense. She also had a key 3-pointer for us.”
Although there were a few heart-breaking plays for the Riders, the real key to the game was missed shots, Poindexter said.
Lynden made 11 of 13 free throws while the Riders were just 6 of 13 from the charity stripe.
“We make those free throws and we win the game,” Poindexter said.
“We also missed 5 of 6 very contested lay-ins in the second half,” Poindexter said.
“We were in control or our own destiny. You have to convert.”
Stephanie Somers was the difference for Lynden as she scored four of her eight points in overtime.
Somers opened the OT period with a layup and Kortney Grattic, who led all scorers with 21 points, added a pair of free throws that made it 42-38 with 2:02 to play.
Amber Stokes grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds for the Lions.
Now the Riders have a dangerous mountain to climb with no leeway for mistakes in the loser-out consolation semifinals today at 9 a.m against Burlington-Edison, which took second at state last year and was ranked No. 2 coming into state.
Burlington lost 51-40 to top-ranked Clarkston in the Thursday quarterfinals.
Port Angeles will go into the breakfast bracket not only emotionally drained but physically drained.
“Kiah Jones, Mariah Frazier, Maddy Hinrichs and Kathryn Moseley all played a lot of minutes for us,” Poindexter said.
“We’ll probably substitute early and often to keep fresh legs on the floor at all times.”
Burlington, although not as tall as Lynden, still has a physical and strong inside presence.
“We gave up 3 to 7 inches to every Lynden kid in the starting lineup,” Poindexter said.
“Their shortest starting player was 5-10.”
Lynden 46, Port Angeles 43, OT
Lynden 8 11 8 11 8— 46
Port Angeles 13 9 8 8 5— 43
Individual scoring
Lynden (46)
Van Dalen 2, Hommes 5, Stokes 4, Bouwman 6, Grattic 21, Somers 8. Totals: 17-54, 11-13, 46.
Port Angeles (43)
K. Jones 15, Frazier 7, Hinrichs 3, Walker 7, B. Jones 2, Moseley 4, Northern 3, Johnson 2. Totals: 16-55, 6-13, 43.
Neah Bay 51,
Mt. Rainier 47
SPOKANE — The good news is that the Red Devils won’t have to face two-time defending state champion Sunnyside Christian in the championship semifinals today.
Sunnyside Christian beat Neah Bay 55-50 in the state title game a year ago.
The bad news is that Neah Bay will have to contend with third-ranked Valley Christian, the team that defeated Sunnyside in the quarterfinals, this afternoon.
The Red Devils will take the news with smiles after advancing themselves.
Neah Bay is a step closer to its second state title of the school year after getting by Mount Rainier Lutheran on Thursday morning at Spokane Arena in the state quarterfinals.
Zeke Greene scored the go-ahead basket with a minute left, carrying Neah Bay to the championship semifinals of the Class 1B boys state tournament.
Tyler McCaulley scored 15 for the Red Devils (20-3).
McCaulley was 5 for 5 in 3-pointers in the first half.
McCaulley’s high-ankle sprain is much better.
“Tyler is moving a lot better and he’s feeling good,” Neah Bay coach Gerrad Brooks said.
The Hawks (22-3), led by David Greenwood’s 26 points, will meet defending champion Sunnyside Christian in the loser-out consolation semifinals this morning.
Greenwood is a power forward who kept Mount Rainier in the game.
“He’s their key to everything,” Brooks said.
A 3-pointer by Zeke Greene tied the game at 47-all with 1:32 left.
After a miss by Mount Rainier Lutheran, Greene followed with a baseline drive that put the Red Devils up 49-47.
A turnover on Mount Rainier Lutheran’s next possession led to two foul shots by Johnny Smith with 6.3 seconds left that sealed the game.
Neah Bay got 11 points from Michael Dulik and 10 from Zeke Greene.
Carston Neumiller added 14 points for Mount Rainier Lutheran, which also lost to the Red Devils in the Tri-District tournament two weeks ago.
Neah Bay’s semifinal opponent, Valley Christian, is a tall team that likes to get the ball inside.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, likes to use the length of the court to take advantage of their speed.
“This will be a clash of wills,” Brooks said about the differing styles of play.
“You want to impose your will on the other team.”
The Red Devils have been pretty good about that most of the year.
Neah Bay is ready for the challenge.
“The kids are feeling good, and the good thing is that we know we can play better,” Brooks said.
“I’m really happy with this team’s ability to step up. The kids have an undying will to play basketball.”
That is not good news for Valley Christian.
Today’s game starts at 3:45 p.m.
Neah Bay 51, Mt. Rainier 47
Neah Bay 11 16 11 13— 51
Mt. Rainier 9 12 14 12— 47
Individual scoring
Neah Bay (51)
Doherty 6, Halttunen 1, Venske 2, Z. Greene 10, Dulik 11, J. Greene 4, Smith 2, McCaulley 15. Totals: 19-50, 4-9, 51.
Mt. Rainier Lutheran (47)
Greenwood 26, Hallenberg 2, Neumiller 14, Pelissier 2, Murphy 3. Totals: 14-42, 17-23, 47.