For the second time this season, the Washougal girls basketball team held off another late Mark Morris rally and edged out a 46-40 victory.
After leading by 10 points in the first quarter and seven at half, the Monarchs briefly stole the lead following the third quarter.
Like last matchup, Mark Morris refused to give in and continued to chip away. Holding Washougal to just six points in the third quarter, Mark Morris held the lead 35-32. The Panthers were able to hold the opposition to just five points in the final period and cling to the victory.
“We settled down in the fourth quarter and we quit reaching,” Washougal coach Brian Oberg said. “We knew we couldn’t let them keep scoring at the rim. It worked for the three quarters, just not the third.”
Mason Oberg finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while Beyonce Bea stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds and four assists. Freshman McKinley Stotts chipped in eight points, all in the fourth quarter. The Panther underclassmen combined for 39 of the 46 points.
With just one loss in league play, Brian Oberg recognizes the team has its flaws; “I’m confident in these girls but we foul too much.”
While Washougal trots out four underclassmen in their starting rotation, Mark Morris also has a relatively young squad. With four of the five starters all returning for their senior seasons next year, the rivalry between these two teams will continue.
“Mark Morris has been the pinnacle of what 2A basketball is about,” Brian Oberg said. “For us, to be a rival with Mark Morris, I’m proud of that.”
With a win on Wednesday against Columbia River, Washougal would clinch a league title. Last year, Washougal and Mark Morris shared the honor.
Mark Morris 40, Washougal 46
Mark Morris 8 11 16 5–40
Washougal 16 10 6 14–46
Mark Morris: Alexis Troy 10, Madison Mosier 9, Libby Bartleson 7, Madison Early 5, Kalina Makaiwi 5, Zsaleh Parvas 2, Madison Pond 1, Gabby Bennett 1
Washougal: Mason Oberg 16, Beyonce Bea 9, McKinley Stotts 8, Tianna Barnett 4, Alexis Maniscalco 3, Lindsey Thomas 2, Toryi Midland 2, Kaitlyn Reijonen 2.
