State 2A, 1A preview: East Valley girls, Deer Park boys look to bounce back at state
Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Such was the case on Saturday, as the East Valley girls turned in their season-low scoring output and were knocked off by seventh-seeded Washougal and all-state post Beyonce Bea 52-45 in their 2A regional round clash at University HS.
The Knights (19-4) play a rough-and-tumble style, but the taller, longer Panthers (19-4) were more than East Valley could handle. The 6-foot-1 Bea scored 22 points, and EV never got into a groove.
“They pressured us pretty good,” EV coach Rob Collins said. “We panicked a little bit. We didn’t continue to attack like we normally do.
“We missed some free throws there down the stretch … and had too many unforced turnovers.”
The loss forces the Knights into an unenviable situation: a first-round loser-out game on Wednesday against 10th-seeded Anacortes, before a potential showdown against No. 1 seed Lynden in a quarterfinal.
But the Knights are used to battling.
They beat rival Clarkston twice in the regular season before falling to the Bantams in the District 7 title game, forcing EV to travel to Ellensburg to win a crossover game just to reach the regional round.
Genesis Wilkinson scored 18 points and Faith Adams had 17 points – both All-Great Northern League first-team selections – and Holly Flynn added 13, and EV held off a late rush to down Ellensburg and advance.
No. 3 seed Clarkston is led by league MVP sophomore Ashlyn Wallace, who averages 25 points, three assists, four steals and four rebounds, and owns a pair of 39-point games this season.
“Surviving a very tough and competitive GNL league has definitely prepared us for state,” Clarkston coach Debbie Sobotta said.
Boys
Seventh-seeded Deer Park (20-3) finds itself in a similar situation as the East Valley girls.
A stellar regular season could all be in jeopardy after the Stags stubbed their toes in a 63-46 regional-round loss to second-seeded La Center.
The Stags produced their first Northeast A title, going 10-2 in league and followed that with a 57-45 win over Newport for the District 7 championship.
The Stags get an opportunity to prove the regional loss was a fluke in a first-round loser-out against 10th-seeded King’s at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Stags are paced by senior league MVP Isaac Berglund, first-team all-league junior Jobi Gelder (23.6 ppg) and sophomore second-teamer Dawson Youngblood (9.6 ppg).
“We need to be aggressive on the offensive end with solid rebounding,” DP coach Chad Hand said. “The guys are excited and deserve this opportunity.”