WASHOUGAL — The Washougal girls basketball team seemed to be in complete control from the very start of the game.
However, as they looked up at the scoreboard heading into the fourth quarter, the Panthers were only ahead by three points.
Time for their go-to player to getting going on offense.
Beyonce Bea scored her team’s first six points of the quarter, igniting the Panthers to a 54-41 victory over Ridgefield in a Class 2A Greater St. Helens League game Friday night.
Bea finished with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds and Mason Oberg added 16 points and six steals for the Panthers.
Bea, who did not score in the third quarter, had eight points in the stretch run — surprising no one.
“Beyonce is the best leader on our team. She’s really strong,” Oberg said. “Not many people in our league — no one I know of — who can guard her.”
Paige Wilson got a basket off an offensive rebound after Bea’s initial spurt in the fourth quarter, giving Washougal a nine-point led. The Spudders never recovered.
The Spudders did, however, make it a game after a tough start.
Oberg and Toryi Midland each had four steals for Washougal in the first quarter, and the Panthers scored the first 11 points of the game.
Ridgefield, though, would score 18 second-quarter points — Sarah Jenkins and Kylie Greenwald each had eight in the quarter — and then held Washougal to three points in the third quarter.
Jenkins would finish with 14 points to lead the Spudders.
The Panthers got the message from coach Brian Oberg in the huddle just before the final quarter.
“He told us to pick up the intensity, to push the ball and look for open shots,” Bea said.
That plan worked for the Panthers, who will take the 2-0 start in league play going into a long break. They are off until Jan. 4.
“Two-and-oh is two-and-oh,” the coach said. “We’re a young team. I’ll take it any way we can get it.”
This was a battle between two young squads. Ridgefield starts four sophomores. Washougal has three sophomores and a freshman in its starting lineup.
“Just step up,” said Mason Oberg, the freshman. “Some people are better at defense. Some people are better at offense. Everyone, obviously, has a job to do.”
Washougal reached the Class 2A state tournament a year ago, but lost key seniors from that group.
“This year we’re really young but everyone is stepping up to fill the roles, pick up the energy,” Bea said. “It’s really cool.”
Winning helps, too.
“We lost a lot of people from last year,” Mason Oberg said. “Everyone thinks …
“… we’re really down,” Bea finished her sentence.
Starting with two league wins before Christmas is a big deal to the Panthers. “To show we can still hang with everybody else is really cool,” Bea said.
WASHOUGAL 54, RIDGEFIELD 41
RIDGEFIELD — Sarah Jenkins 14, Anna Murphy 5, Devi Dugan 2, Aliesha Ball 1, Kylie Greenwald 8, Kaia Oliver 4, Emma Jenkins 0, Emi Long 2, Karli Oliver 3, Amy Bishop-Smith 2. Totals 14-43 (5-22) 8-13 41.
WASHOUGAL — Lindsey Thomas 6, Beyonce Bea 19, Mason Oberg 16, Toryi Midland 3, Tianna Barnett 5, Maggie Hungerford 0, Ashley Gibbons 0, Paige Wilson 3, Mckinley Stotts 2. Totals 16-51 (4-14) 18-34 54.
Ridgefield 2 18 12 9–41
Washougal 13 19 3 19–54
