Washougal High School’s Raeann Allens hoists the fourth-place trophy as she and her teammates celebrate after beating Black Hills High School 50-28 in the class 2A girls state basketball tournament March 5, 2016 in the Yakima SunDome in Yakima, Wash. (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)
YAKIMA — Before she passed the reins of the Washougal girls basketball team to the next class, Alyssa Blankenship took a moment to hold a souvenir of her final game.
She clutched a basketball signed by each member of the team. In the largest letters was her signature.
That’s fitting for someone who has left such a mark on Washougal’s program.
Blankenship finished her career Saturday as the second-leading scorer in program history with 1,241 points. Only Krissy Bassett, who scored 1,351 points before graduating in 2006, has more.
But nobody has led Washougal to a higher place in the state tournament. Washougal beat Black Hills 50-28 on Saturday to finish fourth in Class 2A.
“I’m just so proud of our team and what we’ve accomplished,” Blankenship said. “It’s definitely bittersweet that it has come to an end, but I’m glad our season ended on a win. We made history.”
Washougal didn’t win a trophy in 1983, its only other state appearance. As players emerged from their SunDome locker room, several dozen parents and students greeted them with hugs and boisterous cheering.
“It was always that we just wanted to get into districts,” Blankenship said. “We never thought about making it to state. Now that we actually did it and have accomplished something, it feels really good.”
After a long embrace with her father, senior RaeAnn Allen spent a few moments holding the fourth-place glass plaque. But it’s not that trophy the senior guard says she’ll cherish the most.
“You can sit here and talk about all the wins that we’ve had, but when you look back you’re going to remember all the time you spent in the bus and in the hotel,” she said. “This is incredible to put a plaque on the wall and this in the trophy case, but it’s the girls and the memories that I’ll remember forever.”
Blankenship finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds. She scored eight points in the first quarter, which ended with Washougal leading 15-5. The Panthers never trailed.
The second quarter showed that the cupboard won’t be bare for Washougal next season. Maggie Hungerford, a sophomore, scored seven points to give the Panthers a 26-21 halftime lead. Freshman Beyonce Bea finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
“The seniors have really shown us what it’s all about,” Hungerford said. “We’re looking forward to the seasons coming up.”
In the second half, Washougal put the game away with its defense. Black Hills scored just six points and shot 1 for 24 from the field.
The Wolves were missing their starting post Maisy Williams, who left for New York on a school choir trip after Black Hills lost in the quarterfinals. But it’s unlikely she would have dampened Washougal’s intensity on defense.
“We’ve been telling them that you’re one of the top teams in the state when your minds are right and we play defense,” Washougal coach Brian Oberg said. “It was pretty evident in the second half that our defense completely shut them down.”
The season was a wild ride for Washougal, which finished 22-6 and reached the final eight in Yakima by virtue of three consecutive overtime wins in loser-out games.
Saturday’s win avenged a 49-45 district tournament loss to Black Hills (21-5). That loss to the Tumwater school immediately preceded Washougal’s three OT wins.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the girls, the school and the community,” Oberg said as his players snapped photos with the trophy and each other. “Everybody has come together for one purpose and that’s this moment right here.”
