At just about any other time in the game, Naches Valley’s girls might have been able to overcome 96 seconds of tentative, unproductive play.

But not the first 96 seconds.

And not against Colfax in Thursday’s Class 1A state quarterfinals.

With a cool precision befitting a three-time reigning champion, the Bulldogs zipped out to a 9-0 lead in the opening 1:36, fended off the Rangers’ comeback bid in the second half and ended up with a 67-39 win that both coaches agreed was much closer than that.

“I’ve got to believe they’re the best team here,” said NV coach Cris Willmarth. “They just don’t make mistakes. They’re deep and they’re all fundamentally sound. To give a team that good an early lead like we did, that’s a lot to ask.”

The Rangers, who fell behind 16-7 at the end of the first period, did fight back and make a game of it. They outscored Colfax 28-27 in the middle quarters and drew within 43-35 on Monique Wickenhagen’s 3-pointer with four seconds left in the third period.

But there was no panic in the Colfax crew, who produced six 3-pointers in the first three quarters and then switched to a more interior game in the final period.

The switch was brutally effective.

Not only did the Bulldogs get the ball inside for high-percentage shots but they drew a flood of fouls. The result was Colfax hitting 16 of 20 free throws while three NV starters fouled out.

Colfax’s 24-4 finishing quarter turned a decent game into a runaway.

“A start like that was huge for our confidence,” said Colfax coach Corey Baerlocher. “It was a closer game than the scoreboard showed. You start like we did and you hope the opponent would say, ‘We’re done.’ But Naches didn’t do that.”

The Rangers pieced together an 8-0 run in the second quarter, and Wickenhagen pitched in two 3-pointers in the third period to help carve into the deficit.

But the foul trouble that forced the Rangers to lay off their trademark pressure came down with a vengeance in the fourth quarter as playmakers Wickenhagen (5:53 left), Megan Mortimer (4:12) and Jordan Huck (2:03) all fouled out.

Willmarth said only two players had fouled out all season and one came in the season-opening game.

Another problem for Naches Valley was Colfax’s tall, long-reaching, athletic rebounders. The Bulldogs held a 22-21 advantage on the boards at halftime but the second-half margin balloned to 30-7.

“They handle the ball well, they pass well and they shoot well,” Willmarth said. “It’s difficult to find a way to attack a team like that.”

Baerlocher’s depth seemed never-ending as Sadie Lazzarini came off the bench for a game-high 10 rebounds and reserve Abby Bruya scored six of Colfax’s first nine points in the second quarter.
For the game, Colfax’s bench outscored NV’s reserves 26-0.

“Every night we can have a different player step up,” Baerlocher said. “These kids have played like that since they were freshmen and sophomores.”
Mortimer, Wickenhagen and Huck, the trio that fouled out, combined for 31 on NV’s 39 points. Wickenhagen finished with 12 points, and Mortimer got eight of her 10 points at the foul line.

Still within reach of the program’s highest finish ever at state, the Rangers (21-4) will face Toledo (21-4) today in a loser-out game at 2 p.m. The winner will play for fourth place on Saturday.

“Our goal is to play on Saturday and that’s been our goal the whole season,” Willmarth said. “We can still get fourth place. In a tournament with this many great teams, if you get a trophy you’re very good team.”

Colfax's win was its 16th straight tournament victory, tying the record set by Lynden Christian from 1989-93. The Bulldogs will get a chance to break the record today at 7:30 p.m. ... against Lynden Christian.

Naches Valley -- Mortimer 1-4 8-12 10, Wickenhagen 3-9 4-6 12, Evans 0-0 0-0 0, Root 0-3 0-0 0, Pierson 0-3 0-2 0, Schmidt 1-7 0-0 2, Risley 0-1 0-0 0, Powers 2-5 1-2 6, Huck 4-13 0-4 9, Elston 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-45 13-26 39.
Colfax -- Teade 7-14 3-3 18, Lazzarini 2-4 5-7 9, Harazin 3-7 1-2 9, Largent 0-3 1-2 1, Markley 1-3 0-0 2, Hart 1-1 0-0 2, Mellor 2-8 4-4 8, Paulson 0-0 0-0 0, Doering 1-2 2-3 5, Morgan 0-0 0-0 0, Bruya 2-4 4-6 9, Shaw 1-8 1-3 4. Totals 20-54 21-30 67.
Naches Valley	7	12	16	4	--	39
Colfax	16	13	14	24	--	67
3-point goals--NV 4-22 (Wickenhagen 2-7, Powers 1-1, Huck 1-5, Root 0-1, Pierson 0-1, Risley 0-1, Mortimer 0-2, Schmidt 0-4), C 6-20 (Harazin 2-3, Doering 1-1, Bruya 1-2, Teade 1-4, Shaw 1-6, Lazzarini 0-1, Largent 0-3). Rebounds --NV 28 (Huck 6, Mortimer 5), C 52 (Lazzarini 10, Mellor 7). Assists--NV 2, C 12 (Shaw 3, Teade 3). Steals--NV 4 (Huck 2), C 7 (Teade 3, Lazzarini 3). Blocked shots--NV 0, C 1. Fouled out--Wickenhagen, Powers, Huck. Total fouls--NV 25, C 22. Technical fouls--None. Turnovers--NV 14, C 15.