Washougal’s girls basketball team has now won five consecutive 2A Greater St. Helens League titles, but perhaps no game to clinch a league crown came down to a performance like Thursday.
Stressful? Yes. Exciting? That, too. Memorable? Big time.
A late-game rally by the Panthers had Columbia River High’s J. Hoover Gymnasium buzzing the final minutes as the Panthers shocked the host Chieftains, 44-38, by erasing a 16-point deficit to clinch its fifth consecutive league title.
Year after year, Washougal’s league titles are memorable in their own right, but Thursday proved special in another way, sophomore Jaiden Bea said. Washougal has now won 24 consecutive league games and can close out another undefeated league season Monday against R.A. Long.
“To get this means a lot without the powerful seniors we had (last year),” Bea said. “It shows we can work hard and get to what we had last year.”
The win secures the Panthers (17-2 overall, 11-0 league) as the 2A GSHL’s No. 1 seed entering next week’s Southwest 2A District IV tournament. River’s regular-season ended Thursday and is locked in as the second seed to districts. Both teams will host first-round contests next week.
Washougal didn’t just win Thursday, but did so the hard way. It trailed by as many as 16 points 3 minutes into the third quarter when Dejah Wilson had 11 straight River points for its largest lead, 33-17.
That’s when momentum when in Washougal’s favor the rest of the way, behind defense and hustle plays and outside shots finally starting to fall.
Bea had 10 points, 12 rebounds and two steals, and none bigger than a steal and layin with 90 seconds to play that gave Washougal its first lead since 11-9. In fact, Washougal outscored River 27-5 the final 13:01 of the game, and failed to allow a River field goal in the final quarter.
After missing 14 consecutive 3-point attempts at one stretch of the first half, Washougal’s outside shooting came alive when it needed it most. McKinley Stotts top-of-the-key 3 was part of a 10-0 scoring run in a fourth quarter that Washougal outscored River 20-1.
“Confidence was big in this game,” Stotts said.
Stotts had nine points and Skylar Bea led Washougal with 15.
A performance like Thursday, which tested the Panthers in so many ways, players said postgame, can only be beneficial looking ahead toward the postseason as they begin their quest to defend their Class 2A state title. Washougal is now winners of 15 straight games dating back Dec. 13.
“Even though we were down by so much, we never gave up,” Stotts said. “I feel like we got a lot out of this game. No one gave up.”
Wilson led all scorers with 16 and Jordan Ryan added 14 for River.
