Sauer, Griz Play For Title

2A

Carey Sauer and her Newport Grizzlies played like true champions Friday. In another few hours, they just might be. Sauer had 38 points and 19 rebounds to lead Newport past Elma 74-62 in a girls State 2A basketball tournament semifinal.

Newport will play for its first championship at 6:30 tonight, meeting Black Hills of Tumwater at the SunDome. Black Hills defeated Meridian 43-33 in the other semifinal. Both teams are 24-2.

Sauer broke the one-day-old tournament scoring record she set by hitting 36 in Wednesday’s opening win over Eatonville. She has 93 points in three games and needs just seven more today to break the tournament record set a year ago by Goldendale’s Amber Pantages.

Earlier Friday, East Valley (Yakima) eliminated defending champion Lakeside 61-54 by overcoming an early 11-point deficit. EV (23-3) will play Ephrata (22-4) at noon today for fourth and seventh.

Lakeside entered the tournament as the state’s top-ranked team. The Eagles had earned trophies in four consecutive tournaments and had won 46 of their previous 48 games.

Newport 74, Elma 62

Both teams threw caution to the wind and set sail with a combined 44 3-point attempts. Newport hit 9 of 19, including Carey Sauer’s 6 of 9, and the Eagles 10 of 25.

The Grizzlies survived an early 11-0 run by Elma when freshman Rose Sauer hit 3-pointers a minute apart. Elma senior Tasha Matthews hit six 3-pointers, five in the first half. She and junior Kelly Collard hit back-to-back 3s midway through the second quarter for Elma’s biggest lead 28-20.

“We knew they were just going to fire up the 3s and push the ball up the floor, so we were ready,” Sauer said.

The Sauer sisters scored all the points during a 9-0 burst that led to a 38-36 halftime lead.

Elma’s Eagles (20-6) never came closer than two points in the second half. Newport’s first exclamation point came with the third quarter winding down, when the elder Sauer hit three 3-pointers and Halee Haptonstall added another for a 59-48 lead.

Elma whittled it to six and forced a fourth foul on Sauer with 3:02 left. Instead of shrinking away, Sauer scored on a driving layup with 2:22 to go and swished a turnaround jumper with the 30-second clock buzzing at 1:38.

Sauer’s 38 points tied her career high set Feb. 9 against Colville.

“I thought they would double- and triple-team her,” said Newport coach Mike Frederick. “That’s why Mary (Lindburg) got so many good looks.”

Lindburg, the star in Thursday’s win over Cascade , had 20 points and 13 rebounds. Haptonstall had a game-high seven assists.

“This is awesome, especially for the six seniors,” Haptonstall said. “We’re really excited to have a perfect ending to our year.”

Carey Sauer also leads the tournament with 42 rebounds, three more than Lindburg and Sarah Gregory of Orting.

Sauer hit 4 of 4 from the free-throw line and is 20 of 20 for the tournament.

Newport 17 21 21 15 - 74

Elma 16 20 17 9 - 62

Newport (74) - Cari Wiese 0, Halee Haptonstall 5, Mary Lindburg 20, Erica Olsen 1, Samantha Almond 0, Carey Sauer 38, Rose Sauer 8, Casey Schulz 0, Missy Elliott 0, Alicia Almond 2, Leah Dahlin 0.

Elma (62) - Kelly Colard 23, Sara Wallman 0, Katie Burbidge 2, LaShelle Gore 0, Tasha Mathews 20, Laura Marrill 4, Janna Smith 3, Nicole Rudy 10, Jenny Beerbower 0, Dodie McCallum 0.

E. Valley (Yakima) 61, Lakeside 54

The Red Devils, who start four seniors, took advantage of the young Eagles’ mistakes. EV finished with 23 steals and held Lakeside to 34-percent field-goal shooting.

“We didn’t shoot well today, or yesterday for that matter,” said Eagles coach Lisa Schultz. “It was a learning experience for those kids. They can take it and really build for next year.”

Lakeside’s entire roster was under-classmen except for Portland State-bound Nikki Petticrew. Petticrew hit 8 of 8 free throws and had six steals in her final game. She finished her career with 1,147 points and 95 wins against 9 losses.

Bridget Ryan (5.2 ppg) scored three quick baskets for an 8-4 Lakeside lead midway through the first quarter. Kate Reome came off the bench and hit 3-pointers 55 seconds apart for the Eagles’ biggest lead, 23-12, with 6:22 left in the first half.

Caitlin Hanley (3.6 ppg) started EV’s comeback with eight points during a 12-1 run. Schultz stopped Hanley by having Petticrew defend her for a spell.

The teams were tied eight times from 24-all to 37-all. A five-point push, capped by Elyse Mengarelli’s layup after stealing an in-bounds pass, put the Red Devils ahead for good.

Lakeside starters Julia Vojtech and Jen Barcus fouled out in the final 1:42.

“I told the kids to keep things in perspective,” Schultz said. “They need to look at the big picture. I think that what might have happened is we left our best games at district.”

That included a 73-51 championship game win over Newport.

Lakeside hadn’t lost two consecutive games since the 1997 State A tourney. Eagles reserve Molly Stillar, who sprained her ankle Thursday returned to play nearly 12 minutes.

EV is coached by former University High boys coach Jack Cleveland.

Lakeside 15 15 10 14 - 54

East Valley 9 21 16 15 - 61

Lakeside (54) - Kate Reome 6, Kenna Giampietri 8, Jolie Vojtech 6, Nikki Petticrew 14, Bridget Ryan 11, Jen Barcus 7, Caryn Grubbs 2, Kelley Wilkins 0, Molly Stillar 0.

East Valley (Yakima) (61) - Elyse Mengarelli 9, Jennifer Olson 2, Brandi Sharp 4, Brianna Hilliard 6, Sara Sevigny 4, Caitlin Hanley 13, Katie Springer 8, Brianne Carmody 13, Jeneille Barkl 0, Kristal Shelton 2.