TACOMA — The Class 4A girls state quarterfinal didn’t go the Camas Papermakers’ way Thursday, but not once did Courtney Clemmer let her message go unnoticed.
Not even when the senior picked up her fourth foul with 1:56 left in the second quarter and went to the bench. Not even when Camas trailed by as many as 30 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
There was Clemmer, firing up her team at every opportunity.
“My motto is it takes two to rally a team,” said Clemmer, who had six points and six rebounds. “If I can get someone else on board … that attitude spread like wildfire,” “You have to keep the spirits up … If you can’t do that, you’re not going to win games.”
The Papermakers remained upbeat despite a 58-27 4A quarterfinal loss to Eastlake at the Hardwood Classic in a game they struggled shooting and were overmatched inside.
But even though Camas can’t play for the top trophy, they still can play for a trophy Saturday. It starts by beating Kentridge in Friday’s 10:30 a.m. semifinal consolation game in a rematch of the bi-district loss for a shot at playing in the fourth/sixth place game Saturday.
That has Camas driven after losing to Kentridge, 65-50, on Feb. 15. Camas’ girls basketball program never has earned a state trophy.
“We want to beat them very badly,” said Marianna Payne, who led Camas with seven points Thursday and added six rebounds. “We just have to work hard.”
Against an Eastlake team that returned all five starters from last year’s first-round tournament rematch, the Wolves (22-1) led from start to finish on Camas (17-9) and its size advantage led to a 27-6 halftime advantage. Over that same stretch, Camas went scoreless for a 10-minute first-half stretch.
Camas’ best scoring quarter came in the third (12 points), scoring nine of its points in the opening 4 minutes. But Eastlake kept pushing and grew its lead to 48-18, behind four players scoring in double figures. Gina Marxen and Keeli Burton finished with 13 apiece for Eastlake.
Coach Scott Preuninger points to pluses to playing different teams in the state tournament, but also pluses to playing familiar teams at state, too.
And in Camas’ case, it’ll be a bi-district rematch against a Kentridge team that’ll be charged up about not defending its 2017 state championship. Woodinville topped Kentridge on a buzzer-beating 3 in overtime Thursday to knock Kentridge into the consolation bracket.
Coming out of the lockerroom, the Papermakers already began flushing Thursday’s loss.
“We’ll be more prepared,” Preuninger said, noting his team’s loss to Kentridge at bi-districts after it was a one-point game midway through the third quarter. “The girls know going in we can play with them.”
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EASTLAKE 58, CAMAS 27
CAMAS — Jillian Webb 0, Haley Hanson 5, Marianna Payne 7, Maggie Wells 0, Courtney Clemmer 6, Jordyn Wilds 3, Katelynn Forner 3, Hannah Booth 3, Brooklyn Pascua 0, Faith Bergstrom 2, Ka’Iulani Warren 0, Jalena Carlisle 0. Totals 11 (3) 2-8 27.
EASTLAKE — Keeli Burton 13, Mae Bryant 12, Stacie Keck 0, Cameron Edward 11, Gina Marxen 13, Haley Huard 3, Callie Lind 3, Maddie Morrison 1, McKenzie Feinglas 0, Jordan Duzenack 0, Elizabeth Chen 2, Anna Azelby 0. Totals 19 (4) 16-23 57.
Camas 2 4 12 9 – 27
Eastlake 16 11 16 15 – 58
