Tag Archive for: Girls Basketball

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Bi-Districts: Camas Girls Hang Tough With State Champs

Papermakers play for third place at Bi-Districts Saturday

By Dan Trujillo

Bumped, bruised, iced, taped, the Papermakers continued to battle at Bi-Districts.

The Camas girls basketball team rallied from 12 points down at halftime to get within one point of defending 4A state champion Kentridge in the semifinals of the bi-district tournament Friday, at Puyallup High School.

“From the beginning, we all had that heart and desire,” said junior guard Haley Hanson. “Who cares if they’re state champs. We work so hard in practice. Our scout team got us prepared for this physical game. We just pushed through all the pain and frustration.”

Hanson nailed four 3-pointers for the Papermakers in the second half. Marianna Payne and Jillian Webb added two threes each, and Jordyn Wilds netted one.

“That’s the reason we play basketball. That team chemistry keeps us alive on the court,” Webb said. “Those threes came from all five of us. It wasn’t just Haley and me. That was a whole team effort.”

The Chargers never lost their advantage, outscored Camas 18-8 in the fourth quarter and celebrated a 65-50 victory.

“We caught up to them, we just couldn’t keep it. But we tried our best, despite the fact that we were a bit undersized,” Payne said. “It was a very physical game. A lot of us came out with battle scars.”

Bi-Districts

Haley Hanson connects on her fourth 3-pointer in the second half.

The difference of the game was foul calls. Kentridge earned 30 free throws and made 18 of them. Camas only received one shot from the line, and it came on a 3-point play converted by Payne.

“When you come up here and you play Kentridge, you’re not going to get too many calls your way,” said Camas head coach Scott Preuninger. “Even though they were the more physical team, they weren’t getting fouls called on them. It is what it is. You just got to play.”

And play the Papermakers did.

Payne and Maggie Wells bounced off the walls, while they made baskets and grabbed rebounds. Freshmen Faith Bergstrom and Jalena Carlisle provided productive minutes when Courtney Clemmer got into foul trouble. Hanson tweaked her elbow, but got right back into the game.

“Just great effort,” Preuninger said. “They played about as hard as they could.”

Camas (15-7) faces Kentlake (18-6) in the third-place game at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, at Mount Tahoma High School. The Falcons defeated the Papermakers by four points, Dec. 9, 2017.

Kentlake also beat Camas by one point in the state regional round last season.

“Our girls are ready to play Saturday,” Preuninger said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

 

Bi-Districts

Jillian Webb drains her second three for Camas.

 

Bi-Districts

Maggie Wells shows no fear against a 6-foot-4 Charger.

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Back to Where They Belong: Panthers Play for 3rd Place Saturday

By Dan Trujillo

On Saturday, the Washougal High School girls basketball team will play for third place in the district tournament for the third year in a row.

“After everybody was talking about how many players we lost, to be in the same place we have been the last two years is really special,” said junior Beyonce Bea.

Washougal (18-5) faces Woodland (14-9) in the consolation finals Saturday. Game time and location will be announced Thursday. Only the winner of this game advances to the state tournament.

“Just play hard. Play our hearts out. We have to win or it’s over,” said junior Kiara Cross. “This is our time. We don’t want to stop playing ball.”

Bea scored 24 points and Cross added 13 to help the Panthers defeat Mark Morris 64-49 Wednesday, at Ridgefield High School. It was redemption for Washougal after the Monarchs ended the Panthers’ 12-game winning streak.

“We wanted to beat them so bad, because they stopped our streak,” Cross said. “We had to get them back. It’s personal now.”

Mark Morris hung with Washougal until Cross scored 10 points in the third quarter. She nailed two 3-pointers, and delivered two more baskets off two steals.

Panthers

Beyonce Bea moved up to second all-time in points scored at Washougal High School. She’s at 1,251, exactly 100 away from record holder Krissy Bassett.

 

“I didn’t even realize what was happening,” Cross said. “I just wanted to go, go go. Keep putting shots up. Play hard defense.”

Tiana Barnett nailed a three to break the tie, before Cross caught fire. McKinley Stotts added a three to give the Panthers a 13-point cushion going into the final quarter.

Bea had another big night. She passed Alyssa Blankenship for second all-time in school history. Bea is up to 1,251 points, 100 away from record holder Krissy Bassett.

Bea thanked the fans for traveling to Ridgefield on Valentine’s Day to watch the Washougal girls play basketball.

“They could be doing something else, but they’re not. That means a lot,” she said. “Everyone’s really energetic, excited and supportive. So, that’s a really fun environment to play around.”

 

 

Panthers

Kiara Cross nails her third three of the game for the Panthers. She scored 13 points in the second half, including 10 in the third quarter.

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Basketball: Camas Girls Best Skyview Again — Papermakers 5-0 In League

By Dan Trujillo

The last time these girls basketball teams faced each other, Camas established a 27-3 advantage on Skyview in the first half and never looked back.

It was raining threes for the Storm Friday, but the Papermakers prevailed 45-37 to improve to 5-0 in league play.

The rematch started similar. Courtney Clemmer scored eight points on assists from four different Papermakers. But when the Storm drained three 3-pointers to go up 9-8, the Camas girls realized this would be a different game.

“We got caught up in how much we beat them by the last time,” said senior forward Maggie Wells. “We weren’t fully into this game and playing together. In the fourth quarter, we were like ‘No, let’s play together.’ And we got to the level we should have been at the beginning.”

This time, the score was tied at the end of the second and third quarters. Wells rebounded a miss by Camas at the start of the fourth quarter and put it back in for two points. Jillian Webb and Marianna Payne hit 3-pointers to put the Papermakers by seven points.

“Those were game-changers,” Clemmer said. “Our bench got into it and our crowd got into it and our momentum just went straight up.”

This was the first road test for the Papermakers this season. Camas could face similar challenges at Battle Ground and Union next week.

Basketball

Jump shot by Marianna Payne.

“Everyone wants to defend their home court,” Clemmer said. “We haven’t traveled much yet this year. Last year, we traveled 3,500 miles. We know how to handle that.”

The first goal for the Camas girls is to repeat as league champions. Then it’s on to the postseason, and hopefully another long road trip back to the Tacoma Dome.

“These are the friends I’ve been playing with forever,” Wells said. “And now, we’re doing it again. One last time with these seniors.”

Skyview boys cannot be stopped

The Camas boys basketball team hung tough for three quarters, only to get obliterated by a 22-3 Storm surge in the final eight minutes.

Skyview soared to a 61-38 victory over the Papermakers. The Storm is 17-0 this season.

Camas hosts Heritage for Senior Night Tuesday. The girls tip off at 5:30 p.m., followed by the boys at 7 pm.

To learn more, visit www.chs.camas.wednet.edu

Photo Gallery

Photos by Dan Trujillo

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Washougal Girls Win Ninth in A Row; Panthers 6-0 in League

By Dan Trujillo

The Washougal girls basketball team stands above the rest in the 2A Greater St. Helens League.

The Panthers slashed the Beavers 59-29 Tuesday, at Woodland High School. Beyonce Bea collected 26 points, 18 rebounds and blocked six shots in the blowout.

“From the start, it was really really good,” she said. “We came out on fire, got a huge lead and they weren’t able to come back. That’s what we want to do every game.”

Washougal jumped out to a 13-0 lead. Bea scored seven points, and Ashley Gibbons and McKinley Stotts added 3-pointers. The Beavers got on the board by making a foul shot, but then Stotts hit another three for the Panthers.

Bea delivered 10 more points in the second quarter. Tiana Barnett beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to give Washougal a 36-15 lead at halftime.

Gibbons, Stotts and Maggie Hungerford finished the game with six points, Kiara Cross and Alexis Maniscalco added four points, Barnett netted three, and Skylar Bea and Grace Graham had two.

After the first run through, the Panthers are 6-0 in league and 11-3 overall. Washougal is also on a nine-game winning steak.

“We are taking it one game at a time,” said head coach Britney Knotts. “We can’t look past anybody because the league is so competitive.”

Washougal hosts R.A. Long Thursday and Ridgefield Monday, Jan. 22. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

“I’m excited for us to have another home game, because those home games are special to us and our community,” Knotts said.

After facing Hockinson, Mark Morris and Columbia River on the road, the Panthers wrap up league at home against Woodland Feb. 5.

Beyonce Bea said the key is to start fast like they did against Woodland Tuesday. And, to take the other team’s best shot.

“Everybody goes on a run. We just have to come back from it and keep fighting,” she said. “Starting off strong really helps. When we have a solid first half, that really gets us pumped.”

Photos by Dan Trujillo

Panthers

Ashley Gibbons dribbles down the floor for the Panthers.

 

Panthers

The Washougal girls listen to head coach Britney Knotts during a time out.

 

Panthers

The Washougal girls basketball team won it’s ninth game in a row at Woodland Tuesday.

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Rivalry Night in The Warehouse: Camas Girls Hang on to Defeat Union by 2

By Dan Trujillo

What started out as a 20-0 smashing turned into a nail-biting 46-44 victory for the Camas girls against their rivals from down the road Tuesday.

“Our goal is to start out super strong and get that comfortable lead in the beginning,” said senior guard Jillian Webb. “But, I think we got too comfortable in this game and almost let it slip right through our fingers.”

Webb delivered three 3-pointers out of the gate. Haley Hanson and Marianna Payne also attacked the rim, and Jordyn Wilds drained a three of the her own to give the Papermakers a 20-0 advantage before the first buzzer sounded.

“Before the game started, I told Haley I was feeling it,” Webb said. “She told me to bring it right away. I wasn’t kidding, I guess.”

The Titans clicked in the second half, and bombarded the Papermakers with six 3-pointers. Union rallied within two points in the final minutes of the game, but Camas never relinquished its advantage.

After the final buzzer, Webb pumped her fist in the air.

“I felt like I was going to throw up. I was so anxious,” she said. “It was just us having faith in each other. ‘We got this. Don’t let it slip away.'”

As the game got physical, the Papermakers turned it up a notch. Maggie Wells delivered tough baskets and foul shots for 3-point plays. Courtney Clemmer played relentless in the paint, grabbed rebounds and made foul shots.

Payne devoured the Titans on the boards. At one point, she missed a foul shot but got to the ball first off the rim and put it right back up for two more points.

Basketball

Maggie Wells powers in two points and earns a foul shot. “Don’t sleep on her,” said teammate Jillian Webb. “She always has something up her sleeve.”

“I take the physicality as a boost,” she said. “I like the intensity. It makes me work a lot harder.”

Although she is just a sophomore, Payne is a force on the floor. Every day, she’s learning what it takes to be a varsity basketball player from the seven seniors on the team.

“Off the court, I love to cheer for them because they are so nice and they’re really helpful,” Payne said. “On the court, I do as much as I can to provide for my team.”

On Tuesday, Camas learned not to take Union lightly. This rivalry is only just beginning.

“No matter how big the lead, just keep playing hard all four quarters instead of just the first quarter,” Webb said. “Be a four-quarter team. Play hard the whole game, not just when we want to.”

Frustrating night for Camas boys

No matter how many times the Papermakers got within one point of their rivals, the Titans buried them again.

Union made eight 3-pointers in the game, including five by Tyler Combs, to defeat Camas 70-61.

Isaiah Sampson propelled the Papermakers 24 points and 14 rebounds, but Camas could never regain the lead after losing it in the second quarter.

“I just wanted to dominate. I knew that’s what I needed to help the team,” Sampson said. “They were getting to the rack easy. We changed it up, but started giving them space and they started knocking down threes. We just have to be ready for anything.”

The Titans charged ahead by 12 in the fourth quarter. Ben Cooke and Tre Carlisle kept hope alive for the Papermakers with 3-pointers. Camas cut the deficit down to three in the final 10 seconds, but couldn’t get any closer.

Basketball

Tre Carlisle drains a 3.

“We’re a hard-nosed team,” Cooke said. “We’re going to keep battling no matter the output, no matter the deficit, no matter the score.”

Cooke was thrilled to see Sampson take over the game from the start. He scored six points out of the gate, including a dunk that sent the fans into a frenzy.

“I see that every day in practice,” Cooke said. “He’s a big time player. He’s going to do big things and he’s going to go big places.”

After frustrating losses to Skyview and Union at home, Camas looks forward to the rematches: Jan. 19 at Skyview and Jan. 26 at Union.

“Those games are definitely circled on the schedule,” Cooke said. “This left a bad taste in our mouth, but we’ll keep working and get that win the next time.”

The Camas basketball teams host Battle Ground in The Warehouse Friday. The boys tip off first at 5:30 p.m., followed by the girls at 7 p.m.

Photo Gallery

Photos by Dan Trujillo

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To learn more, visit www.chs.camas.wednet.edu

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The Bea 1000: Washougal Basketball Player Surpasses 1,000 Points

By Dan Trujillo

All for Washougal stood up and hollered when Beyonce Bea eclipsed 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in her high school basketball career Wednesday.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “It was really nice to do it at home. That’s what we all wanted, because the fans and my teammates made it happen and helped me get to this point.”

But more importantly to Bea, the Panthers defeated Hockinson 79-67 to improve to 3-0 in league play.

“The fact that it was a home game against a tough league opponent that we all love to beat … that just made it more special,” she said.

Bea came into the game 27 points shy of 1,000. She finished with 33 points, shooting 11-for-16 from the field and 11-for-14 from the foul line. She also racked up 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and 4 blocks.

“Her teammates found her when she was open. They kept feeding her the ball. She was hot,” said head coach Britney Knotts.

Once Bea got to one thousand in the fourth quarter, Knotts called timeout so she could give the Panther a ball signed by her teammates and coaches.

Bea

Beyonce Bea takes home the game ball and another one signed by her teammates and coaches. The Washougal High School junior ranks fourth all-time with 1,006 points.

“It was amazing,” Knotts said. “I’ve never had a player reach a thousand. Those are things you hear about.”

Skylar Bea also had a big night for Washougal. The freshman collected 15 points and 8 rebounds. McKinley Stotts added 9 points and 5 rebounds. Ashley Gibbons netted 8 points. Kiara Cross chipped in 4 points, 6 assists and 9 rebounds.

Beyonce Bea is already the best rebounder in school history. She ranks fourth in career scoring with 1,006 points. Krissy Bassett holds Washougal’s all-time record with 1,351 points, followed by Alyssa Blankenship (1,241) and Kim Rink (1,169).

Bassett and Blankenship eclipsed 1,000 points when they were high school seniors. Bea is just a junior.

“I dedicate this to my parents and coaches,” Bea said. “They all have pushed me and they believe in me. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

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