Union and King’s Way Christian boys as well as Camas, Hudson’s Bay, Washougal, and La Center girls all advance to domes
A half dozen dreams are still alive for Clark County high school basketball teams.
The Union boys and Camas girls are headed to Tacoma for the Class 4A state tournaments.
Hudson’s Bay and Washougal girls are going to Yakima for the 2A state tournament.
Joining them in Yakima will be the La Center girls and the King’s Way Christian boys in the 1A tourneys.
Battle Ground High School hosted four state regional games that featured Clark County teams. The Clark County teams won all of those games.
Here is how it went down this weekend, plus a quick look at the upcoming games in Tacoma and Yakima.
Class 4A boys
Union 56, Mariner 46
The Union Titans, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, had the lead from start-to-finish Saturday morning, and got past No. 6 Mariner 56-46 to advance straight to the state quarterfinals on Thursday.
This was a seeding game for the Tacoma Dome. Mariner will play in the round-of-12 on Wednesday.
Bryson Metz scored 22 points to lead the way for the Titans. He had 13 in the first half when the Titans built a 13-point lead.
“It’s really a blessing,” Metz said of being part of this team. “Just been a great two years at Union, an incredible experience. I’m so thankful we get to go (to Tacoma.) It’s going to be awesome.”
Metz shined at King’s Way Christian his first two years of high school, helping the Knights get to the Yakima Valley SunDome in the Class 1A tournament. He changed schools last year and played for Titans in the abbreviated season, but there was no state tournament. Now, he will get to experience the Tacoma Dome.
“It’s going to be something new,” he said. “It’s going to be fun.”
Mariner cut the lead to six late in the third quarter, but Jamison Limbrick converted a three-point play in the final minute of the period to give Union some more breathing room.
Next for Union: Union will face the winner of the Central Valley (No. 12) vs. Kamiakin (No. 4) at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at the Tacoma Dome in the state quarterfinals.
Class 4A girls
Camas 56, Inglemoor 44
The Camas Papermakers went a couple minutes without scoring in the second half. Inglemoor had pulled to within three points. And this was an elimination game.
It was do-or-die time.
Reagan Jamison pretty much said: Follow me. We’re going to Tacoma.
Jamison scored all 13 Camas points in the third quarter, plus she had two monster blocked shots, and the Papermakers extended the lead to 11 going into the fourth.
There was no drama in that final quarter. Camas, the No. 9 seed, could celebrate its victory over No. 16 Inglemoor, clinching a berth to the round of 12 Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome.
“I just rely on my teammates. They give me confidence all the time in practice,” Jamison said. “When I’m not going, I know I can trust them. When I am going, I know I’ve got them cheering me on.”
Oh, she was going, alright, in that third quarter. Simply took over the game.
Jamison finished with 23 points. Parker Mairs added 11 points for the Papermakers.
Next for Camas: Camas, No. 9, will face Bellarmine Prep, No. 8, at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the round of 12 as the Tacoma Dome. This will be the third meeting between the teams this season. Camas beat Bellarmine 86-66 in the regular season. Bellarmine got past the Papermakers 73-65 in the bi-district tournament. The winner of Wednesday’s game goes to the quarterfinals. The season will end for the loser of Wednesday’s game.
Class 2A girls
Hudson’s Bay 58, Port Angeles 47
The Eagles already knew they were going to the Yakima Valley SunDome. With Saturday’s win in Battle Ground, they get to go straight to the quarterfinals, the first time this program has gone that far since 2007.
“It’s pretty exciting for us. We’ve been preparing all season for this,” said Mahaila Harrison. “I think we’re ready to go to state and do something Bay’s girls basketball has never done before.”
Harrison, a junior, is doing a lot of big things on the court, as well. She scored 25 points in Saturday’s victory.
“It makes me feel really good. I’ve been working on my game a lot, trying to get better for myself and for my team so we can win state,” Harrison said.
Hudson’s Bay, the No. 3 seed, and Port Angeles, No. 6, were assured of advancing to Yakima. But the winner would go straight to the quarterfinals.
There were nine lead changes in the first half. It was all Bay in the third quarter, holding Port Angeles to six points. Aniyah Hampton’s three-point play with two seconds left in the quarter gave the Eagles a 13-point lead. Bay extended the lead to as many as 17 while cruising to the quarters.
Next up for Hudson’s Bay: The Eagles will take on the winner of No. 12 Lynden vs. No. 4 W.F. West in the state quarterfinals at 12:15 p.m. Thursday. With a win, the Eagles will advance to the state semifinals for the first time in program history.
Ellensburg 56, Washougal 31
The Washougal Panthers just did not have it on Saturday, playing at Davis High School in Yakima.
They had it enough throughout the season, though, that their season continues.
The team’s overall performance gave them a No. 7 seed going into the state tournament. Which meant a loss in the regional round did not end the season, did not end the chance at a trophy.
Washougal’s loss on Saturday puts the Panthers into the state round of 12. Ellensburg, the No. 2 seed, goes straight to the quarterfinals.
Jaiden Bea had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Panthers in Saturday’s game.
Next for Washougal: No. 10 White River will take on No. 7 Washougal at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in a round-of-12 matchup at the Yakima Valley SunDome. Winner advances to quarterfinals. Loser is done for the year.
Class 1A boys
King’s Way Christian 62, Lakeside 59
Giovanny Evanson has become Mr. Clutch for the King’s Way Christian Knights.
Evanson scored 34 points in a must-win game in the district tournament just to get to state, and on Saturday, he scored a career-high 35 points to help get the Knights to Yakima.
“Coach told me to be aggressive,” Evanson said. “I felt I did a good job of that, just looking for my shot.”
Daven Harmeling, the coach for King’s Way Christian, called Evanson “relentless.”
The Knights would need just about every point, too.
Evanson’s dunk gave the Knights a 10-point lead late in the third quarter, but Lakeside would not go away quietly. The Eagles got to within one point with less than minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Alex Fulton regained the momentum for the Knights with a 3-pointer on the next possession.
Evanson secured the victory with six consecutive free throws down the stretch.
“I wasn’t ever going to count them out until the very end,” Evanson said of Lakeside. “Glad we were able to maintain a lead and come through with a win.”
Next up for King’s Way Christian: No. 12 King’s Way Christian will face No. 4 Freeman at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday in a round-of-12 matchup. Winner goes to the quarterfinals. The loser is done for the season.
Class 1A girls
La Center 52, Annie Wright 48
The surprise of the Class 1A girls basketball tournament. La Center, as a 15-seed, has reached the round of 12 with a victory Saturday.
Kylee Stephens set a personal milestone, but more importantly, helped La Center to Yakima.
Stephens scored 29 points, leading the Wildcats to the comeback victory. Annie Wright led by as many as 19 points before La Center got it going in its favor. Stephens crossed the 1,000-point barrier in her career.
Next up for La Center: No. 15 La Center will take on No. 7 Colville in a round-of-12 game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Yakima. Winner goes to the quarterfinals. The loser is done for the season.
