TACOMA — The comeback fell short for the Skyview girls basketball team on Saturday night, and its season came to an end — one victory shy of going to state.
Brooke Bowen had 13 points, 14 rebounds, six steals, and four assists, but the Storm could not overcome their first-half struggles in a loser-out game in the Class 4A bi-district tournament’s consolation bracket.
Deborah Anderson scored 25 points, leading Mount Tahoma of Tacoma to a 66-53 victory. The Thunderbirds scored the final 10 points of the game after Skyview had cut a 16-point deficit to three points.
Skyview’s season ended with a 17-6 record and a 4A Greater St. Helens League championship.
“I’m so proud of our entire team,” Bowen said. “We have come so far and improved so much in everything. It’s upsetting we couldn’t pull it out and make it to state, but I’m still proud of everyone.”
The Storm nearly extended their season to the state tournament. Two reserves — Emily Dobbin and Katie Hendricks — played key minutes during a third-quarter stretch that sparked the Storm to life. Dobbin’s 3-pointer made it an eight-point game going into the fourth. Hendricks finished with six points and six rebounds.
Delaney Keser, who also had 13 points, swished a 3-pointer with six minutes in the fourth to make it 52-49. Two minutes later, Katie Swanson connected on back-to-back shots to make it 56-53.
That’s when the run ended. Fatigue set in, and the Storm failed to score in the final 4:07 of the contest.
Anderson opened the game by banking in a 25-footer. It did not look like she called “bank,” but when she banked in a longer 3-pointer later in the half, perhaps it was her style. She ended up 9 of 23 from the floor with four 3-pointers.
Jessi Williamson, a 6-foot-7 post, had 11 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocked shots for the T-Birds.
Mount Tahoma led 19-8 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 15 at halftime. The T-birds got it to 16 at 40-24 early in the third before Skyview rallied.
“Would we have liked to have gone to state? Absolutely. But as a group, we have made progress,” Skyview coach Jennifer Buscher said. “The girls had to adapt to a new coach, a new system, and they played the season with two freshmen point guards after losing our starter early in the year. These girls have had some definite challenges this season, and they overcame them.”
The Storm will say goodbye to one senior — Sarah Mason — and then plan for 2012.
“We had a lot of success, but we’re not satisfied,” Bowen said. “Next year. It just means everyone will work harder.”
