Girls close out their stay with 74-39 playoff victory
By Paul Danzer, Columbian
Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: February 14, 2015, 12:00am
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Woodland's Amber Malik, 21, is fouled by the Centralia defense in the 2A district playoffs, Friday, Feb. 13, 2015.
WOODLAND — The Woodland girls basketball program has piled up plenty of wins in the cozy high school gym that has served the Beavers since 1956.
The last one was like so many others, as the Beavers seized control with pressure defense and blitzed Centralia 74-39 on Friday to open play in the Class 2A District 4 Tournament.
The win means the Beavers will face W.F. West of Chehalis at 7:45 p.m. on Monday at Centralia High School in the district semifinals. No matter how much longer this season lasts, it won’t include any more games in the WHS gym. And next school year Woodland is opening a new high school.
“It was really sentimental,” Woodland post McKenna Mulder said. “We just came out and played with a bang.”
The Beavers dropped the hammer by making seven steals and forcing 12 Tigers turnovers in a first quarter that ended with Woodland up 22-8. Centralia had only four field goals before halftime — one that tied the score 2-2 and one that closed the first half cut Woodland’s lead to 22 points.
Woodland senior guard Sidra Malik said she was nervous before the game because Friday was a day off school, which meant relaxing during the day. But the Beavers didn’t take it easy on the Tigers.
“We came out ready to play. I don’t think Centralia was ready for it,” said Malik, who led the charge with 22 points, four steals and three assists. “We showed them what Woodland basketball is about.”
Woodland coach Glen Flanagan, whose teams have won 14 league titles in his 19 seasons, said he will miss the old gym and the unique environment that he believes can be a real home-court edge.
Mulder, who was part of a strong interior defensive effort on Friday, agrees that the tiny gym was at times a big advantage.
“I like that it’s a smaller gym. When there’s a lot of people here it looks like a packed house,” Mulder said. “I think with a bigger gym we won’t have the same small-town home court feeling, but it will still be fun for the girls to play in the new gym.”
The Friday fun included 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for junior Jessica Flanagan. Senior Kendall Grell added 12 points, all in the first half including a pair of momentum building 3-pointers.
“It was an honor and a privilege to be the last people to play here,” Grell said.
Actually, that honor will go to the Woodland boys when they host Centralia today to open their district tournament. But the girls team provided a memorable parting shot.
Next comes a bigger challenge as the Beavers face the No. 2-ranked defending state champions W.F. West, led by 6-foot-2 Julie Spencer and 6-3 Tiana Parker. They beat Woodland 40-26 early this season.
Monday’s winner locks up a place in the 2A state tournament. Monday’s loser will need to win two more times next week to qualify for state.
“If we play our game, we can compete with anyone. I truly believe that,” Mailk said. “We’ve got to come out and play like we did in this first quarter. If we do that I think we will do very well against W.F. West.”
