CAMAS — The Camas girls basketball team used what looked like a football play as the clock ticked down to zero.
Well, Camas does know how to play football.
And the Camas girls basketball team knows how to finish.
Madison Freemon beat the final horn with a lay-up, lifting Camas to a 34-33 non-league victory over Prairie in a game that had 14 lead changes.
“I was a little bit nervous at first,” Freemon said of receiving a long pass under the basket. “I admit I don’t make all my layups.”
She did make the one that counted Thursday night.
The Papermakers, trailing by one, elected to play defense with an 11-second difference on the shot clock rather than foul. When Prairie missed a shot — the Falcons went 1 for 11 in the final quarter — Camas post Courtney Clemmer grabbed the rebound. She was immediately double-teamed, but the Papermakers opted not to call a timeout.
“I almost lost the ball,” Clemmer acknowledged. “Then I heard Meghan call for it. She was open, so I gave it to her.”
Meghan Finley went to advance the ball, then looked ahead.
“I was just going to go up the court as fast as I could, but then I saw Maddie and gave it my all on that last pass,” Finley said. “It made it to her, and she made it.”
For football fans, picture a wide receiver getting well behind the last defensive back, just waiting for the pass from the quarterback. That was Freemon, waiting to do her thing.
“It definitely felt like slow motion,” Freemon said. “It seemed like the ball was coming to me at 2 mph.”
Regardless, it worked. And the young Papermakers — with one senior on the team — are 2-0.
Plus, it’s a win against the Prairie Falcons, historically the most successful girls basketball program in the region.
“Their name has an intimidation quality to it,” Finley said. “I think of us as the underdog. It felt like we beat the top team.”
“Prairie is Prairie,” Clemmer said. “It’s going to carry over like last season. After we beat Prairie we went on (a long) win streak.”
The Falcons looked a lot like last year’s Falcons, a team that reached the state tournament with defense, which created a lot more shots than their opponents. Unfortunately for Prairie on this night, those extra shots were not falling. Prairie made 10 of 55 from the floor.
Still, that defense remains Prairie defense. That led to Camas committing 22 turnovers through the first three quarters. Cherita Daugherty’s 3-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer gave Prairie a 26-24 lead.
However, Prairie would only make one basket in the fourth quarter — a 3-pointer from Dejah Gobert with 5:20 to play.
Camas freshman Haley Hanson scored with five minutes left to give Camas a 30-29 lead.
The Falcons would respond with four free throws in the final minutes, setting the stage for a wild final 30 seconds.
Hanson and Clemmer each scored nine points to lead Camas. Clemmer also had 10 rebounds.
Grace Prom and Daugherty each had seven points for Prairie. Natalie Whitesel grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
CAMAS 34, PRAIRIE 33
PRAIRIE — Dejah Gobert 6, Cassidy Gardner 0, Kris Rocci 0, Jozie Tangeman 1, Mallory Williams 5, Grace Prom 7, Macey Hsu 4, Cherita Daugherty 7, Natalie Whitesel 3. Totals 10-55 (6-28) 7-12 33.
CAMAS — Meghan Finley 3, Haley Hanson 9, Jillian Webb 0, Noora Monghate 0, Emma Jones 2, Madison Freemon 6, Stephanie Knight 0, Teague Schroeder 5, Courtney Clemmer 9. Totals 15-43 (2-17) 2-10 34.
