T O U R N E Y T O W N  ARCHIVES

This page is part of the Tourneytown.com archives and is no longer updated.

East Valley players, including Amanda Stickney, left, and Jessica Huntington, celebrate as the Red Devils tie the score late in Wednesday's game against Lakeside. GORDON KING/ Yakima Herald-Republic

By SCOTT SPRUILL
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

What chance would you give a basketball team that trailed by 17 points in the first half and missed 20 free throws in the game?

And further, what chance would you give that team, given those dire circumstances, against a team with an 11-game win streak?

Slim, none, give it up, pack it in, take it home.

But if that team was East Valley’s girls, well, what’s that line about never underestimating the heart of a champion?

Indeed, this champion has heart and then some.

Turning the game around with its deep bench and vise-like defense, the Red Devils stormed back twice to outlast Lakeside for a 50-47 overtime victory in Wednesday’s first round of the Class 2A state tournament.

Following up last year’s state championship, the win gave East Valley eight in a row in state tournament play, a 2A record.

“We always stayed positive and stayed confident even when it wasn’t looking good,” said senior guard Danielle Ducre, one of several late-game heroes. “We got it going in the second half and it was defense, it’s always defense with us. We put everything we had into it.”

It wasn’t enough to rally back from a 17-point deficit in the second quarter. Angie Ibach completed that comeback with a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter.

No, the resilient Red Devils had to do it again. After falling behind 45-41 with 1:28 left in regulation, Angie Mullen popped in a layup with a minute remaining and then reserve guard Jami Sharp came up with the clutch basket of her career with four seconds left to force overtime.

Option A, B and C didn’t materialize on EV’s last play, so, with the final seconds ticking away, Sharp cut from the perimeter into the lane and flipped up a shot that rolled in. And she was fouled.

“The first options were a screen and roll for Angie or La Donna (Downs) and then Jami for a 3,” explained EV coach Jack Cleveland. “If the 3 wasn’t there, the next thing was for Jami to drive in.”

“The outside shot wasn’t there so I figured I had to take it in. I knew there wasn’t much time left,” Sharp said. “I had no idea the ball went in. I heard the whistle and I was afraid they called a charge on me. I was just so glad the ball went in.”

Even though Sharp missed her free throw for the win, East Valley took command in the overtime as Ibach fired in her second 3-pointer on the team’s first possession.

The Red Devils certainly made it interesting with their wayward foul shooting. They were 0-for-7 in the overtime and 7-for-27 in the game.

“We could’ve clinched the game earlier but when you’re not hitting free throws you’ve got to find other ways to win,” Cleveland said. “Our kids are mentally tough. They had to shake that off and they did and they survived.”

Jessi Reome and Megan Griner combined for 34 of Lakeside’s 47 points and sparked the Eagles to a 25-8 lead in the second quarter.

“They had two big scorers but we have a whole bench,” said Ducre, referring to reserves that outscored Lakeside’s subs 10-1. “We go deep into our bench and that’s how we got back in it. We had more energy in the second half.”

After shooting 56 percent in the first half, Lakeside managed 38 percent and 18 points in the second half and overtime.

Ibach scored 12 of her team-high 15 points in the second half to help ignite the comeback, and she also had eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Mullen hit 6 of 10 shots for 12 points and seven rebounds.

The Red Devils (23-2), who avenged a first-round loss to Lakeside two years ago, will now turn their attention to Tenino (21-3), a 55-45 winner over Granite Falls. They meet in Thursday’s third quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m.

© 2003 All photos, content and design are properties of the Yakima Herald-Republic.

For questions or additional information about this site,
e-mail us at:

Tourney Bracket
:: Girls tournament
  
Other Games
Saturday
:: Lakeside 39, Ephrata 23
:: Chelan 45, Nooksack Valley 42
:: Blaine 51, Connell 33
:: East Valley 44, Pullman 31
Friday
:: Ephrata 48, Riverside 41
:: Lakeside 52, Hoquiam 39
:: Nooksack Valley 67, La Center 52
:: Chelan 57, Tenino 54, 2OT
:: Pullman 48, Connell 40
::  East Valley 50, Blaine 43, OT
Thursday
:: Ephrata 55, Woodland 38
:: Riverside 54, Eatonville 45
:: Lakeside 43, Granite Falls 36
:: Hoquiam 42, Port Townsend 40
:: Pullman 38, La Center 30
:: Connell 54. Nooksack Valley 44
:: East Valley 34, Tenino 31
:: Blaine 48, Chelan 41
Wednesday
:: La Center 69, Ephrata 37
:: Pullman 41, Woodland 33
:: Connell 54, Eatonville 33
:: Nooksack Valley 42, Riverside 35
:: Tenino 55, Granite Falls 45
:: East Valley 50, Lakeside 47
:: Blaine 44, Hoquiam 43
:: Chelan 59, Port Townsend 38
 
Latest Statistics
:: Girls tournament
 
Team Capsules
:: Girls tournament

Record Books
:: Girls records
:: Girls champions
:: Girls all-time scoring leaders
 
District Results
:: Girls tournament
 
Boys Tourney
:: Boys tournament