La Salle caps perfect season
La Salle’s pursuit of a perfect season ended in the best way possible on Saturday night – with a state championship at the State 2B girls basketball tournament.
Senior Jasmine Stohr scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds and freshman Savannah Bonny added 10 points as the Lightning beat Napavine 45-28 at the Spokane Arena, giving the La Salle girls its second state title in the past three years.
With the victory, the Lightning capped off an unblemished season, finishing with a 24-0 record.
La Salle showed off its defense early, holding the Tigers scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the game. La Salle led 12-8 after one quarter.
The Lightning went on a 6-0 run to start the second, capped by Megan Bonny’s short jumper with 6:14 left to give La Salle an 18-8 lead.
Stohr made a lay-in with 1:43 left in the second to give the Lightning a 26-14 advantage, their biggest lead of the first half. Stohr, Megan Bonny, Savannah Bonny and Alexis Bonny all scored six first-half points as the Lightning took a 28-17 lead into the break.
La Salle continued to dominate defensively in the second half, holding Napavine without a field goal in the third. The Lightning outscored the Tigers 11-2 in the quarter to take a 39-19 lead into the fourth.
The Tigers converted on just 4 of their 18 shot attempts in the second half.
Napavine outscored the Lightning 8-2 in the final three minutes but it was too little, too late.
La Salle coach Alyssa Goins was ecstatic about the play of her team, especially the seniors.
“The seniors are the heart and soul of this basketball team and we’re going to miss them terribly,” she said. “They were just so determined and nothing was going to stop them in this game.”
La Salle fell 47-46 to Mossyrock in last year’s title game after the Vikings’ Elena Belcher hit two free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining.
The Lightning forced 27 turnovers, converting them into 23 points.
Six of Stohr’s team-high nine rebounds came on the offensive end.
“The first three days at State is all about game-plan and execution for us. The fourth day we just run off of adrenaline and heart,” said Stohr.
Stohr, who will play for Lewis-Clark State College next season, said the win was equally important for all the players on the team, not just the seniors.
“The win was great for us (seniors) but it also gives the younger players something to carry into next season.”
Goins was also excited about her team’s potential for next season.
“We have kids that are going to step up and carry on the tradition next year,” she said.
Sarah Hylton tallied a team-high six points for the Tigers, who took second place, their best State B finish in team history.
Napavine coach Shane Schutz had nothing but good words to say about La Salle after the game.
“Defense wins championships and they proved that tonight,” said Schutz. “They deserve all the credit in the world.”
Schutz also praised the effort of his squad.
“Words can’t describe how proud I am of our players. They left their hearts and souls out there on that floor tonight,” he said.
The Tigers finished the season with a 23-3 record.