Stinson Goes Out In Record Style
Day session
The cycle of life. Outgoing is replaced by incoming.
In Davenport’s 67-48 win against Manson on Saturday, Gorillas senior Jennifer Stinson drove to the basket against Manson freshman Katie Davis. Stinson put up a shot and Davis put it back in Stinson’s face - but Davis was called for the foul.
Oh, yeah, the outgoing still has seniority until departure is official.
This third-place game in the girls State B basketball tournament at Spokane Falls Community College marked the exit of Jennifer Stinson as a player, and possibly the exit of Jim Stinson as the Gorillas head coach.
Coach Stinson said he will decide in six weeks whether he will return to coaching.
For added measure, Jennifer set a single-game tournament scoring record with 43 points.
Before the game, Jim Stinson admitted to having some strange emotions about possibly coaching his last contest.
“I couldn’t talk in the locker room,” Stinson said. “We always have a prayer before the game, and I couldn’t even say that.”
The Trojans, on the other hand, have Davis, a 5-foot-11 freshman, who emerged as a player to be reckoned with in the next three seasons.
In the fourth-place game, the St.
John-Endicott Eagles beat Morton 59-53 in overtime.
The Eagles (25-3) used a 10-2 run in the extra session to hand Morton (21-10) seventh place.
Morton’s Sarah Coleman was all over the floor as she collected 34 points on 15-for-27 shooting. Coleman, a 5-foot-10 junior, also finished with 18 rebounds, eight coming on the offensive end.
Wilbur-Creston took fifth place with a 56-53 win against Mossyrock. The Vikings (23-5) finished eighth.
The Wildcats (26-5) held a 33-26 lead at the half thanks to Holly Arden shooting 4 for 4 from the 3-point line.
Wildcats coach Mike Crowell made no bones about it - he expected his team to earn a trophy.
Given the fact his team loses just three players, and the team’s leading scorer, Jessica Martin, will return for her senior season, it’s a good bet the Wildcats will be back next season.
As for the Stinsons, there will be a lot of memories to savor.
Two of them occurred Saturday.
An elderly gentleman in the crowd suffering from thyroid cancer told Jim Stinson the State B tournament takes his mind off the pain he suffers. The man asked for Jennifer’s autograph.
The other took place earlier.
In the Gorillas’ loss to Wishkah Valley Friday night, Davenport’s Elsa Jacobsen had her nose broken in two places by an inadvertent elbow from Jennifer.
Early Saturday, Jacobsen called the Stinson household and said: “If you can find me a facemask, I’d like to play.”
They found a mask, Jacobsen played and Jim Stinson was left speechless.