Bullpups earn repeat State 4A title with 2OT victory over Inglemoor

TACOMA – Fifty. It’s the sweetest number for the Gonzaga Prep girls basketball team. So is the phrase repeat state champs.

Now the winning streak is secondary to be sure. But the Bullpups got so far down the road that 50 was the only way they could finish it right.

It didn’t come easy, though, without some drama in the second half – when it appeared all that was left was the coronation.

Gonzaga Prep had to go to double overtime and prevailed 57-52 over Inglemoor in the State 4A championship Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.

So what did 50 mean to Laura Stockton?

“It means good luck to the players next year. I hope they can keep it going,” she said. “The number of wins was never in our head. It was always one game at a time.”

How does a state champ win by only scoring two points in the fourth quarter, and that basket, from Stockton, came with 37 seconds to go to force overtime.

“I didn’t realize it (two points) until one of the radio guys told me,” G-Prep coach Mike Arte said.

Stockton was named the tournament most valuable player. She had 13 points, nine steals and six assists. Otiona Gildon was named to the first team. She finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

“That’s an incredible honor,” Stockton said. “I don’t have words.”

Before the late drama, however, Gildon made a jumper to give the Bullpups (27-0) a 43-33 lead with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.

Then the Bullpups’ offense went stagnant.

Inglemoor (25-2) took its first lead at 45-43 when Kennedy Nicholas drove from the high post with 2:11 to go.

Neither team would score until Stockton’s tying basket.

The Bullpups had to lean heavily on their defense the last quarter and two 4-minute overtime periods.

G-Prep forced four turnovers in the second OT.

The Bullpups took the lead for good when Gildon made a free throw with 3:02 to go in the second OT.

The teams traded 3-pointers moments later, and Oona Harrington pushed the lead to 54-52 with a free throw with 1:06 to go.

Harrington followed with a jumper from the baseline for a 56-52 lead and Stockton capped it with a free throw.

G-Prep had difficulty against the tallest and widest 2-3 zone it has seen all year. It was especially effective covering up Gildon at times.

“They were playing a really tough zone,” Stockton said. “We weren’t able to get inside where we wanted it and when we did they had a tall presence which made it hard to score. It lessened our scoring.”

Stockton said she wasn’t looking to take the shot that sent it to overtime, but was poised to shoot if a shot presented.

Gildon said the coaches reminded her what had been the team’s staple all season.

“Our coach, Mr. (John) Stockton, told us to keep playing the defense that we had been playing all year,” Gildon said. “He told us we’re the best defensive team in the state.”

The Bullpups had to dodge several bullets in the end.

Arte gave credit to his team’s four seniors – Stockton, Gildon, Harrington and Lauren Weir.

“They’re leaving quite a legacy,” he said. “The stat that’s more important to these seniors is they suited for 107 games in their career. They were 95-12 and seven of those losses were as freshmen.”

They qualified for state all four years, earning trophies each time.