WOODLAND — For the third time this season, Washougal defeated Mark Morris. The Panthers’ 46-40 victory on Saturday at Woodland High School clinched the final district playoff berth for the 2A state playoffs.
With the win, Washougal securied the No. 6 seed to state, assuring the Panthers a trip to the Yakima SunDome. Washougal will face No. 3 White River in the regional round next weekend.
After a turnover-filled first quarter from both teams, the Panthers were able to find their footing after plugging Beyonce Bea into the point.
With phenom freshman Mason Oberg struggling against the physical Mark Morris defense, her teammates carried her to a 28-11 halftime lead.
“Even though she wants to compete and assist and score, it was just best that she try to remain calm and let the other girls do it for her today,” Washougal coach Brian Oberg said.
With Bea and Oberg the main focus for the Mark Morris defense, Toryi Midland was able to wreak havoc under the basket on both ends of the court.
She collected seven first half points and finished with five blocked shots. Midland was crucial on the offensive glass, pulling in several offensive rebounds that led to second chance points for the Panthers.
“I just wanted to do everything I could to take some pressure off Beyonce and Mason,” Midland said. “I just wanted to go out there and get the job done.”
“It was going to be one of those nights that every player was going to have to do something with the ball and just hope they don’t throw it to the other team,” Brian Oberg said.
Accumulating a sizable first half lead was nothing new for Washougal against this Mark Morris defense. In the first matchup on the year, the Monarchs trailed by 18 before eventually tying the game in the fourth quarter. Last game between the two squads, Mark Morris erased an early 10-point deficit before briefly taking the lead.
With the win, Washougal securied the No. 6 seed to state, assuring the Panthers a trip to the Yakima SunDome. Washougal will face No. 3 White River in the regional round next weekend.
After the break, the unstoppable Washougal offense began showing blemishes. Mark Morris held the opposition to four points in the third quarter and eventually closed the gap to a mere four points late in the fourth quarter. Another Mark Morris comeback was in the works.
“In those situations, you just hope your players will step up,” Brian Oberg said.
Step up they did. Mason Oberg and Bea combined for 13 fourth quarter points and the Panthers were able to cling to the victory.
“They started getting shots,” Brian Oberg said. We weren’t really answering, we were just hanging on.”
Seven different players scored for the Panthers, including Bea with a team-high 15 points. Libby Bartleson of Mark Morris led all scorers with 16 points, 13 in the second half.
Mason Oberg hit her 53rd three-point shot on the season, easily surpassing the previous school record of 38.
With the win, Washougal securied the No. 6 seed to state, assuring the Panthers a trip to the Yakima SunDome. Washougal will face No. 3 White River in the regional round next weekend.
WASHOUGAL 46, MARK MORRIS 40
WASHOUGAL — Bea 15, Oberg 9, Midland 8, Tiana Barnett 6, McKinley Stotts 4, Kiara Cross 2, Lindsey Thomas 2
MARK MORRIS — Bartleson 16, Madison Mosier 10, Alexis Troy 5, Madison Early 5, Gabby Bennett 3, Zsaleh Parvas 1
Washougal 7 21 4 14—46
Mark Morris 5 6 10 19—40
