Girls basketball: One more league win as Prairie beats Columbia River

If it is time for league play, it must be winning time for the Prairie girls basketball team.

The Falcons raced out to a huge lead, then rolled to a 52-41 victory Tuesday at Columbia River High School.

Just like the Prairie the rest of Southwest Washington has known for years, it started with defense, holding the Chieftains to 11 first-half points.

Cherita Daugherty almost had a triple-double, with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven steals. Jamie Phares had six steals for the Falcons. Prairie forced River into 26 turnovers.

The Falcons went 7-5 before this opener of the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League schedule. Sure, the five losses came against quality opponents, but it certainly was not a Prairie-like record.

Phares and Daugherty acknowledged the Falcons were questioning themselves back in December.

“With the five losses, I’m not used to it with Prairie basketball,” said Phares, a senior. “But I still had confidence in us. It’s a zero-and-zero record once league starts.”

“We started off slow, but we’ve started to pick it up,” Daugherty said. “I’m glad we’re back to the way we were.”

There was no slow start on Tuesday. Daugherty scored 10 points, making all four of her shots — including two 3-pointers — in the first quarter as the Falcons jumped out to a 19-5 advantage.

“We didn’t get cocky about it,” Daugherty said. “They have a good record, and they are really improved.”

In fact, the Falcons kept the pressure on the Chieftains in the second quarter, going up by 24 points by halftime.

This coming against a Columbia River squad that was an impressive 10-2 this season, hoping to make a statement against a Prairie squad that has not lost a league game since 2000.

“We expected them to be as good as they are,” Columbia River coach Carl Click said. “We wanted to play with them, and we didn’t in the first half.”

Click said he was surprised with how quickly Prairie’s hands were on defense. He has good ball handlers, but the Falcons tipped so many passes or took the ball off the dribble time and time again.

Prairie coach Brett Johnson said his team’s half-court press is working, but he is not satisfied with the defense just yet.

“Once we get our man-to-man, I’m hoping we’ll be golden,” Johnson said.

The Falcons are not shooting the ball particularly well — they went 19 of 59 and only 5 of 27 from 3-point range against the Chieftains — but the defense and rebounding are adding up to a huge difference in field goal attempts. Columbia River was 11 for 40 from the floor.

Emily Peters and Grace Prom each scored eight points for Prairie. Jozie Tangeman added seven points. Phares was 3 for 3 for her six points. Tangeman and Prom beat the second- and third-quarter horns for 3-pointers.

Teaghan Cowles and Kate Kraft led Columbia River with eight points apiece. Marion Lilly had seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.

The Chieftains showed plenty of life in the third quarter, cutting the 24-point deficit to 17 before Prairie jumped back up to a 20-point lead. The Chieftains outscored the Falcons by nine in the final quarter.

“They did what we asked them to do in the second half, which is not give up and play hard,” Click said. “I told them we learned some stuff and we’ll try to get better the next time.”

For the Falcons, after an up-and-down non-league schedule, this was their “next time.”

“It starts now,” Phares said.

“Better late than never,” Daugherty said.

“Better now,” Phares replied.

PRAIRIE 52, COLUMBIA RIVER 41

PRAIRIE — Lindsay Asplund 3, Jamie Phares 6, Cherita Daugherty 14, Emily Peters 8, Natalie Whitesel 5, Jozie Tangeman 7, Grace Prom 8, Deja Gobert 1, Kris Rocci 0, Brandi Swingle 0, Macey Hsu 0, Glory Prom 0. Totals 19-59 (5-27) 9-15 52.

COLUMBIA RIVER — Marion Lilly 7, Kate Kraft 8, Teaghan Cowles 8, Holli Jo Chose 1, Megan Bloom 6, Amara Moore 4, Emmas Fisk 2, Gabrielle Collins 5, Kate Kolbe 0, Ellie Furth 0, Maddy Kessi 0. Totals 11-40 (4-16) 15-19 41.

Prairie 19 16 9 8—52

Col. River 5 6 13 17—41

JV — Prairie won.