LONGVIEW — If the Hudson’s Bay Eagles have their way, this won’t be the last time they face the Tumwater Thunderbirds.
That’s how they prefer it to be. In two weeks, they hope to meet the T-Birds again — this time for an even larger trophy at another venue than what the two teams played for in Friday’s 2A District IV girls basketball championship game won by Tumwater, 59-46, at Mark Morris High School.
“Better losing now than later,” senior point guard Aniyah Hampton said.
For the second time in three seasons, Bay finished second at a district — or bi-district tournament. In 2020, Bay fell just short in the 3A West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament title game to Lincoln of Tacoma.
Junior Mahaila Harrison was a freshman on that team, but Friday’s experience still lived up to the hype.
“It was definitely really exciting for us,” she said, “and we’re glad we got to see them. We’re right there with them.”
Entering Friday in Longview, the 2A district title game had all the makings for a possible Class 2A state title game preview in two weeks at the Yakima Valley SunDome: WIAA RPI Nos. 1 (Tumwater) and No. 2 (Hudson’s Bay) and champions of their respective leagues in a loaded District IV bracket on the girls side where all four regional-bound teams are ranked in the top 5.
But it was an uphill battle all game for Bay, thanks in part to red-hot shooting by Tumwater that led to a double-digit deficit by the opening possession of the second quarter.
Tumwater jumped out to a double-digit lead to open the second quarter on an Isabella Lund 3-pointer. She finished with a game-high 17 points and one of two T-Birds (Aubrey Amendala, 15 points) to reach double figures. In all, the T-Birds hit nine 3s.
Harrison said Bay didn’t adjust well to the T-BIrds’ strong perimeter game.
“We didn’t think they were that great of a shooting team, but they proved us wrong,” she said.
Harrison had 11 points for Bay, and Hampton finished with a team-best 15. Bay also got a big boost off the bench from Zoriah Jones and Miranda Gonzalez, who each finished with eight.
Nine of Hampton’s points came in the third quarter when the point guard played off-ball and let other players handle ball-handling duties in an attempt to generate more offensive looks. She didn’t register a field goal in the opening 16 minutes.
It worked. Hampton scored six straight points from the interior and outside, and at one stretch, helped the Eagles get within 35-30 at the 5:13 mark of the third, and 37-30 on Bay’s final possession of the quarter. They never got within eight the rest of the way.
This season continues to prove how loaded District IV is on the girls side. All four spots to regionals are occupied by teams ranked in the top five in RPI.
Facing Washougal twice in league play, W.F. West in Monday’s district semifinal and Tumwater on Friday is only a bonus as they flip the page to regionals.
“This prepares us for state, and it’s getting us to have that mindset already so we’re not getting to state and having to adjust,” Hampton said. “We’ve been playing at this intensity all year.”
—
2A District IV title game
TUMWATER 59, HUDSON’S BAY 46
HUDSON’S BAY — Mae Carse 0, Promise Bond 0, Miranda Gonzalez 8, Alana Stephens 0, Devon Johnson-Brown 0, Paytin Ballard 5, Mahaila Harrison 11, Aniyah Hampton 15, Zoriah Jones 8. Totals 19 (5) 4-5 46.
TUMWATER — Natalie Sumrok 9, Kylie Waltermeyer 8, Aubrey Amendala 15, Regan Brewer 8, Isabella Lund 17, Cassie Kausman 2. Totals 20 (9) 10-17 59.
Hud.Bay 9 11 15 11—46
Tumwater 17 16 11 15—59
