The 4A and 3A GSHLs have teams in all four bi-district championship games
The Evergreen Plainsmen found a way into overtime, then took down Mount Tahoma on Thursday to advance to the Class 3A bi-district boys basketball tournament championship game.
The Union defense was dominant Thursday, and the Titans advanced to the Class 4A bi-district girls basketball tournament championship game.
Oh, and if you keep reading about bi-district tournament championship games, there is a reason.
The Evergreen and Union victories on Thursday made it 4-for-4 for the 4A and 3A Greater St. Helens Leagues.
That’s right. There is GSHL representation in the title games in 4A boys, 4A girls, 3A boys, and 3A girls.
The GSHL (District 4) has played against District 3 in this bi-district format for most — not all — of the of the past 20 seasons or so. It is believed this is the first time the GSHL has had finalists in all four tournaments in the same year.
Oh, and in the 4A boys, it is an all-GSHL final with Union taking on Battle Ground at 5 p.m. Sat., Feb. 22 at Prairie High School.
Evergreen’s Mario Herring drove the length of the floor and hit a bank shot in the closing seconds of regulation to force overtime. The Plainsmen then got hot in the final minutes of OT for a 75-70 victory.
Evergreen will take on Wilson at noon Saturday in the championship game at Puyallup High School.
The Union girls held Decatur scoreless in the second quarter Thursday night on the way to a 41-32 victory. Abbey Kaip led the Titans with 12 points. Mackenzie Lewis had nine rebounds, and Mason Oberg had four steals.
Union will face Todd Beamer in the title game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Puyallup High School.
In 4A boys, the Union-Battle Ground game got moved from the Puget Sound area to Prairie High School. That game is 5 p.m. Saturday.
And in 3A girls, the Hudson’s Bay Eagles will play for the bi-district title against Lincoln at 2 p.m. Saturday at Puyallup High School.
In consolation play on Thursday, Kentwood beat Camas 57-52 in 4A girls. Camas will play in the seventh-place game on Saturday but has already clinched a spot to state regionals.
2A boys
Black Hills 66, Columbia River 46: After a couple of upsets, the two No. 1 seeds from District 4 played each other in an elimination game Thursday, and the 2A GSHL champion is out after a tough fourth quarter.
The game was tied after three quarters, but it was all Black Hills in the final eight minutes.
Columbia River finished with a 17-5 record.
1A boys
King’s Way Christian 88, Montestano 50: The Knights, disappointed at being in the consolation bracket, took out their frustrations on Montesano in an elimination game Thursday. The Knights scored 30 points in the first quarter to put this one away early.
King’s Way Christian will take on Forks on Saturday in the third-place game of the District 4 tournament. The winner will go to state regionals. That game is 6 p.m. Saturday at Kelso High School. Following that game, La Center and Seton Catholic will play for the district title game. Those two teams have already qualified for state.
