Davenport Thumps W-C In Bi-County Showdown

The Class B girls basketball ranks lost another undefeated team Saturday, and Jennifer Stinson didn’t need any deep thinking to figure out why.

“It was the running game that got them,” Stinson said after scoring 30 points to lead fourthranked Davenport (9-0, 15-1) to a 61-41 Bi-County League win over third-ranked Wilbur-Creston (9-1, 15-1).

Yes, Miss Stinson, and the runs in the game. Davenport scored 13 unanswered points in the first half to build a double-figure lead, then decided the game with a 16-2 run after the Wildcats had pulled within six.

“That’s what we do all the time,” said Davenport coach Jim Stinson. “And (W-C) has done that all year, too.”

With W-C’s loss, only topranked Wishkah Valley and 10thranked Klickitat are unbeaten in the B’s.

The Wildcats encountered an all-too-familiar story. They entered last year’s game with Davenport at 15-0, but lost 58-44 despite being tied through three quarters.

This time, W-C was cooked midway through the third quarter. When Gorillas senior Lana Becker hit the first 3-pointer of her career, she capped a 16-2 run and installed a 38-18 lead.

“I thought we were awfully tight in the first half,” said W-C coach Mike Crowell. “Then it was 22-16, and we had made a little run, and the next thing you know they score seven (actually six) on you.”

Four of those six came from senior Sara Warwick, who has served mainly as a fill-in during the Gorillas’ glorious run of three consecutive State B title games.

“Warwick and (Joy) Emery - all of the kids - are stepping it up,” Jim Stinson said. “I rotate seven to nine (players).”

“Earlier in the year, a lot of people were looking for me and Jen (Stinson) to do more,” said Davenport guard Andee Marriott, who had 11 points and seven assists. “Now they’re looking to do things, too.”

The Wildcats could have used more help for junior Jessica Martin, who, despite the effects of illness, had a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds. Holly Arden scored nine and Mindy Bandy eight - both after going scoreless in the first half - but the rest of the team totaled just six points.

“We were a little faster - and I think it showed,” said Jim Stinson, who constantly rotated his defenses to test W-C. One decision the coach made was to let his daughter - the league’s top scorer - consistently guard Martin, the No. 2 Bi-County scorer.

“I don’t know why he let me try it out,” said Jennifer Stinson, who reached 2,450 career points and is 303 short of the state scoring record (boys and girls) set by Kate Starbird.

Wilbur-Creston 6 10 10 15 - 41 Davenport 14 14 20 13 - 61

WILBUR-CRESTON Allen 4, Llewellyn 0, Grant 2, Martin 18, Haden 0, H.Arden 9, Bandy 8.

DAVENPORT Becker 3, J.Emery 5, A.Marriott 11, Schreck 2, Warwick 8, C.Emery 2, Jacobsen 0, Stinson 30, Mikelson 0.