Wilson’s Long Bomb Gives Central Valley Girls State Berth Ferris Loses Title Game But Still Has Its Spot Reserved In Seattle

Jenny Wilson isn’t an outsider any more.

Years from now, she’ll be remembered at Central Valley.

The California transfer drained a 3-pointer from the right corner as time expired to lift the Bears past Kamiakin 52-49 Saturday afternoon and into the State 4A girls basketball tournament.

“I had the feeling,” the junior guard said. “I had no clue (how much time was left). I knew I had to shoot it as soon as I got it.”

The shot, from NBA depth, sent shockwaves through the Tri-Cities Coliseum as Kamiakin’s string of seven straight trips to state ended in the loser-out game of the Lamb-Weston 4A Eastern Regional.

The Braves had lost a similar three-point game to Ferris in Friday’s semifinals, ending their quest for a fifth regional title.

That put the Saxons into state and the regional title game, where they lost a sloppy but intense 48-46 decision to Richland in overtime Saturday night. Saxon senior Karie Pruett scored 24 points.

“I didn’t want it to end like that,” Saxons senior Karie Pruett said after scoring 24 points. “I still wanted to win. Every game counts now.”

But although a regional championship is a great accomplishment, it’s only a la mode.

Central Valley just wanted a piece of the state pie, which Wilson delivered.

The fourth state berth went to Kennewick, it’s first, with a 52-45 win over Wenatchee.

Richland 48, Ferris 46 (OT)

The Bombers (23-2) scored only two free throws in overtime, but it was enough.

The Saxons (20-5) had their chances. After turning the ball over on their first four possessions and missing a shot on their fifth, the Saxons caught a break when Amy George was fouled with 1.7 seconds left. However, she missed the first free throw, and when Ferris coach Art Rojas called a timeout, the Saxons were hit with a technical because they had no timeouts left.

“I totally forgot I called that (earlier) timeout,” he said. “I don’t know if it would have made a difference. It’s hard to miss a free throw on purpose and score.”

With Pruett lighting it up, scoring 15 of the Saxons’ first 20 points, Ferris led 22-20 at halftime.

The Saxons were up five entering the fourth quarter and had a 32-28 lead when Hope Solo of Richland beat the defense back for a layup. As she went up, Janelle Morrisette, “tripped on my own feet,” and stumbled into Solo, sending her crashing to the floor. The ball went into the basket, Morrisette was called for an intentional foul and Solo made two free throws. On the ensuing possession, Cheryl Gies scored and the Bombers were up for the first time since it was 4-3.

Richland took a 46-44 lead on Meggen Kautzky’s free throw. Ferris threw up a potential tying shot with 3 seconds to go and Richland’s Julie Vani, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds, rebounded but was called for traveling with .7 seconds left. On the inbounds, Pruett got inside position and the ball from Chrissy Martin to beat the buzzer for a tie.

That prompted Richland coach Charlie Bussman, who was incensed by the earlier incident, to stomp up to the Spokane radio broadcasters and state: “You can write this quote in your Spokane paper, your referee is a cheater.”

Richland 10 9 5 22 2 -48

Ferris 11 11 7 17 0 -46

RICHLAND - Duncan 1 0-0 2, Smith 0 0-0 0, Gies 1 0-0 2, Kautzky 3 10-16 17, Miller 0 0-0 0, Holsten 1 0-1 2, Solo 2 5-6 9, Vanni 5 6-6 16. Totals 13 21-29 48.

FERRIS - Pruett 8 5-5 24, Lytle 0 0-0 0, George 3 2-5 10, Morrisette 3 2-4 8, Brazzle 0 0-0 0, Martin 0 0-0 0, McCaffery 2 0-0 4, Benzel 0 0-0 0, Taylor 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 9-14 46.

3-point goals - Kautzky, Pruett 3, George 2. Total fouls - Richland 15, Ferris 19. Fouled out - none.

CV 52, Kamiakin 49

Yes, the Bears (21-4) dumped the Braves (21-4) by 13 to open the season, but until Ferris exposed their weaknesses Friday night, the Braves inside game made them seem invincible while winning 14 straight.

That’s because 6-foot juniors Emily Autrey and Erin Anglesey are virtually unstoppable - if they get the ball - by anything except foul trouble.

Saturday it was Autrey’s turn as she poured in 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

But CV used the same frantic press as Ferris employed to upset the Braves.

“It was a good matchup because you can run them ragged out front,” CV coach Dale Poffenroth said. ” … that was their Achilles’ heel… . The little midgets pitched in.”

The Braves had eight turnovers in the second quarter when the Bears rallied from nine down to tie the game at 21. They finished with 21 turnovers, but CV could only score 15 points off the turnovers because the Bears still can’t find their shooting touch.

The Bears, who shot 22 and 27 percent in their first two regional games, including 3 of 41 from 3-point range, only made 16 of 58 shots (27.5 percent) against Kamiakin, but they did knock down 7 of 25 3-pointers.

The real key was rebounding, with Kamiakin gaining only a slight edge. CV’s Rikki Jackson, with nine rebounds, Marissa Liepman (5) and Jenny Coyle (5) had as many boards as Autrey and Anglesey. The Bears also had 16 offensive boards.

Coyle kept the Bears in the game with 18 points.

Michelle Grafos, a 5-4 guard, pulled CV into a tie at 35 with an offensive putback. Autrey then scored six straight points before two Liepman free throws. Autry followed those up with a score to make it 43-37 with 4:45 to play.

Coyle challenged the big girls in the lane for a basket and Jackson, who was 5 of 39 from 3-point range in three games, hit a long 3 to make it 43-42 with 3:27 to go. Autrey made two free throws and Michelle Ramsgate scored from the baseline to put CV down by five with 2:15 left.

Lindsey Shoquist responded with a 3 for CV, and after a turnover Wilson fed Courtney Phinney for a layup to tie the game with 1:29 left. Coyle hit two free throws at 1:10, but those were answered by Ramsgate with 55 seconds left.

CV missed two shots but retained possession. After a timeout at 21 seconds, Lacey Porter stole the ball from a nonchalant Jackson with 15 seconds to go but missed the breakaway layup. Jackson rebounded with 7 seconds left and pushed the ball to the top of the key before hitting Wilson in the corner for the game-winner .

“She’s just starting to get involved,” Poffenroth said. “I think she played man (defense) in California. We play that matchup zone and she played man out there, it was hard to fit in… . I was afraid she wouldn’t shoot and try to pass the ball inside where Autrey could get a block.”

“At first it was kind of hard (to fit in), now I love them. I wasn’t outgoing enough,” said Wilson, who entered the locker room to chants of, “Willie! Willie! Willie!”

Central Valley 8 13 14 17 -52

Kamiakin 15 6 14 14 -49

CENTRAL VALLEY - Phinney 2 0-0 4, Wilson 2 0-0 5, Grafos 1 0-0 2, Jackson 3 0-0 9, Shoquist 1 0-0 3, Liepman 1 9-11 11, Coyle 6 4-4 18. Totals 16 13-16 52.

KAMIAKIN - Porter 0 0-0 0, K.Albano 2 0-1 5, Keatts 1 0-0 2, S.Albano 0 0-0 0, Farabee 0 0-0 0, Ramsgate 3 2-2 8, Anglesey 2 1-1 5, Autrey 13 3-5 29. Totals 21 6-11 49.

3-point goals - Wilson, Jackson 3, Shoquist, Coyle 2, K.Albano. Total fouls - CV 15, Kamiakin 14. Fouled out - Liepman.

, DataTimes