The Seton Catholic girls basketball team secured their first trip to the 1A district championship game in school history on Saturday night.
But by the Cougars’ reaction after their 56-45 win over Hoquiam, you might have thought it was another regular-season game.
“These kids have goals, and I’m not even sure they’re thinking about (state) yet; I’m not even sure they know,” Seton coach Joe Potter quipped. “But they know. Their parents know. They are just even-keeled, and they want more.”
That composure was needed on Saturday night. Hoquiam’s inside game gave Seton fits in the first half, and then the Grizzlies opened the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 33-26 lead.
“We just talked about how it’s a battle down there,” sophomore post Hailey Hammerstrom said. “We just tried fronting (Hoquiam post Chloe Kennedy), play a clean game, but also just battle down there.”
And the Cougars extended their defense into a 1-2-2 three-quarter court press to challenge the Grizzlies’ guards before they could work the ball inside.
“Us putting pressure on their point guard really sped their offense up,” Seton senior guard Anna Mooney said. “It kind of got them a little off-balance, then we stepped up and got those steals. And it really just switched momentum for us.”
Mooney had seven points as the Cougars finished the third quarter with nine straight points to take a 39-36 lead.
Hannah Jo Hammerstrom added two more baskets to open the fourth quarter, stretching the run to 13-0.
“These seniors (Mooney, Hannah Jo Hammerstrom and Keira Williams), they keep composed,” Potter said. “Seven points for us sometimes is not a whole lot. We shoot the three-ball pretty good. We just refuse to lose right now.”
Mooney and Remy Jenniges would hit back-to-back 3-pointers later in the fourth, and the Cougars kept Hoquiam at bay the rest of the way.
Mooney finished with 21 points to lead the Cougars, and Hannah Jo Hammerstrom added 15.
Next up for Seton Catholic is a matchup against Montesano in the district championship game on Monday. A site has not been set yet.
“It feels really good,” Mooney said. “Especially with everyone here supporting us, and the energy that was in this room, it just created that much more momentum for us throughout this game. It was good.”
SETON CATHOLIC 56, HOQUIAM 45
HOQUIAM — Graci Bonney-Spradlin 14, Ashlinn Cady 8, Katlyn Brodhead 1, Ella Folkers 10, Chloe Kennedy 12. Totals 14 (3) 14-25 45.
SETON CAHTHOLIC — Keira Williams 5, Camryn Moore 0, Anna Mooney 21, Hannah Jo Hammerstom 15, Alyssa Mancuso 0, Tiffany Rose Sheldon 0, Remy Jenniges 3, Annie Marchalar 2, Kasey Clifton 6, Hailey Hammerstrom 4. Totals 23 (8) 2-2 56.
Hoquiam 14 12 10 9—45
Seton 11 15 12 18—56
