Manson Star Finishes With A Nice Round Number Davis Collects A Record 50 Points As Trojans Move Toward A Trophy

The melodic chants of “Katie, Katie,” began around the time Manson’s Katie Davis scored on a putback to match the girls State B basketball tournament single-game record for points.

Until Friday afternoon, it had stood for a brief time after former Davenport star Jennifer Stinson lit up the place for 43 points against Bridgeport-Mansfield in 1995.

But the friends and families of the Manson Trojans wanted more. They were looking for a neatly packaged 50 points. And their senior plays-all-positions star complied.

When Davis hit her first of two free throws with 36 seconds left on the clock, she reached the big five-oh. The Trojans had already wrapped up a 74-53 victory over the Wahkiakum Mules in a game that advanced them into today’s 1:30 p.m. fourth- and seventh-place trophy game against Sunnyside Christian. The Knights beat Morton 60-42 in the game that followed Manson’s big win.

In today’s fifth- and eighth-place game, Tekoa-Oakesdale will play Waitsburg. T-O thumped Napavine 48-30 and Waitsburg sent Shoreline Christian packing with its 63-46 win.

But for a magic moment earlier in the day session, Davis was the buzz around the Arena, generating an electricity rarely felt in a loser-out game, a current that crossed over the bulky black tarpaulin that separates the boys court from the girls court.

Within minutes, word hit that Davis had scored 50 points.

What most didn’t know was that her bonanza came just one year and two weeks after she blew out her right knee in the final 15 seconds of a District 6 playoff game. Anterior cruciate ligament surgery followed. Summer league basketball did not. Nor did many of the Division I college coaches who previously had shown interest.

However, Davis said Arizona State, Oregon State, Saint Mary’s and University of San Francisco are still in the picture with OSU holding a slight edge.

“It was very hard. I didn’t sign (early) because I didn’t play in the summer and I also lost a lot of recruiting time,” said Davis. “And when you play for a B school, you hardly get any exposure at all.”

And little exposure often turns into no exposure for the wounded. Davis rehabbed nicely, so it seemed, but she came down hard during a volleyball practice and twisted her foot. The middle hitter didn’t return to competition until the district tournament. Then she went to the state tournament, where her team placed seventh.

Davis was ready for basketball season, or so it seemed. But, on the first day of practice, she put up a jump shot and heard an awful “pop.”

Surgery II was scheduled for Dec. 4 to repair cartilage in the same knee. She missed the first seven games and the Trojans got off to a 2-5 start.

Today, Manson carries a 20-6 record and a sense of accomplishment into the final day of the season. After beating Cedar Park Christian in their opener, the Trojans lost to St. George’s and fell into the losers bracket. Friday, they came from behind after trailing Wahkiakum 32-24 at the half.

Davis’ personal line score read 7121219-50 points on 18-of-29 shooting. Her 18 baskets broke the record of 17 set by former Creston standout Tammy Tibbles in 1984.

Davis was 14 of 17 from the freethrow line. She also grabbed 14 rebounds.

“I’ve been watching basketball a long time,” Manson coach Frank Phelps said. “This is only my second year as head basketball coach, and I don’t know if I’ll ever witness anything like that again. She’s a gifted kid, she’s 6-1 and she can shoot.”

Indeed. Aside from Friday’s 50, Davis scored 32 against Cedar Park Christian and 25 against St. George’s. Her career total of 193 tournament points is well off the mark of 421 set by Stinson in four seasons. This is only Davis’ second tournament. The Trojans took home the sixth-place trophy her freshman year.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo