| March
12: TACOMA (From the
Eastside Journal) -- Pat Bangasser walked slowly underneath the Tacoma
Dome bleachers toward the locker rooms, his shoulders slightly slumped
over and his face weary. ``That
took about 10 years off me,'' the Redmond coach said with slight smile.
The Redmond girls basketball team was
on the brink of having its state title dreams dashed. But as usual, the
Mustangs somehow, some way, escaped with a 56-51 overtime win over
Puyallup at the Class 4A state tournament Wednesday night.
Redmond (24-0) moves on to the
quarterfinals to face Enumclaw (22-4) at 8:30 p.m., today. A
close game like this wasn't supposed to happen until later rounds for the
Mustangs, a favorite to win this year's state title. But the Vikings had
other plans. They led by as many as eight in the fourth quarter and had a
chance to win the game in regulation, but turned the ball over because of
a shot clock violation with four seconds left. ``We
came in ready to play,'' said Puyallup coach Collette Stewart. ``There's
nothing to be upset about if you compete and execute what you're asked to
do, and we did that tonight.''
Redmond had to go on a 13-4 run in
the final quarter to take the lead back with 4:30 left. Ashley
Graham hit a 3-pointer to give the Mustangs a 45-44 lead with 2:39. But
the Vikings kept coming back. Allison Ampe tied the game at 47-47 with
1:00 left in regulation. Puyallup didn't get a shot off in the final 26
seconds and turned over the ball and the game went into overtime. Redmond
quickly led by three, but two baskets by Julie Richard gave Puyallup the
lead with 2:20.
Then Redmond's Claire Pallansch
took over. The 6-foot-2 junior grabbed five offensive rebounds in the
final 1:27 in overtime, giving the Mustangs chance after chance to take
the lead. They finally did with 1:12 to go when Mackenzie Flynn scored.
Flynn, who made two game-winning free
throws last week in the Kingco championship game, made two more in the
final seconds. ``I knew I was
nervous at the start,'' said Flynn, who finished with nine points, six
rebounds and three assists. ``As a team I thought we played timid too. Our
free throws were horrible, we shot poorly and we had no transition baskets
which we usually get.''
Redmond shot 27 percent from the
field for the game. The Mustangs were a dismal 5-for-26 (19 percent) from
3-point range too. Although the
Mustangs struggled from the field, they came up with some clutch shots.
Graham hit two 3-pointers late and Jamie Edwards made three 3-pointers,
including a huge one that put them up 42-39 with 4:30 left. Graham
finished with 10 points and Edwards had 11. Allison Klingerman had 10
points and eight rebounds. ``We
just tried to stay poised,'' said Pallansch, who finished with 17 rebounds
and nine points.
Redmond has had plenty of close
calls this year. The Mustangs were down three with three seconds to go
against Roosevelt, but eeked out a double-overtime win earlier this year.
They were down one with five seconds to go against Garfield last week, yet
managed to win. Redmond started
strong, but couldn't shake Puyallup. Klingerman scored Redmond's first six
points of the game, ripping down rebounds and running the floor. She had
eight points and six rebounds, but shot just 4-for-13 from the field in
the first half. The Vikings
were not intimidated. Puyallup trailed by two after one quarter, then took
a 19-18 lead with Ampe's free throw. Ampe finished with 11 points. Her
teammate Megan Clarno had 17 points and Richard had 12.
Redmond shot 29 percent from the
field and 10 percent (1-for-10) from 3-point range in the first half. The
Mustangs still took a 24-19 lead into halftime. Redmond
will face Enumclaw in the quarterfinals today. The Mustangs whipped the
Hornets 72-50 earlier this year, but Enumclaw played without their leading
scorer Brittney Osborn. Osborn scored 31 points against Oak Harbor
yesterday. ``Tomorrow should be
different,'' Flynn said. ``We got this one out of the way.''
Puyallup - Prokop,
Williams, Hunter 2, Richard 12, Casad, Lowery, Ampe 11, Mawae 2, Clarno
17, Kitts, Krippaehne 7, Riippi.
Redmond - Tosti 2, Gillum, Pallansch 9, Flynn 9, Klingerman 10,
Henderson 5, Edwards 11, Graham 10.
Puyallup
14 5 16 12 4- 51
Redmond
16 8 5 18 9- 56 March
13
TACOMA (From the Eastside Journal)-- A
little better, but not satisfied yet. That
was the look Redmond players had as they left the court after defeating
Enumclaw 53-48 in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state girls basketball
tournament Thursday at the Tacoma Dome. The
Mustangs reached the semifinals for the second time in three years.
Redmond (25-0) will face Prairie (26-2) at 7 p.m. today. The winner
advances to the state championship game.
``We're definitely happy with this
win,'' said senior Ashley Graham, who scored seven points. ``But we're
still not playing our game. Our nerves are settling and we're just hoping
to come out strong tomorrow.'' The
Mustangs treated Thursday night as business as usual. There wasn't a huge
celebration following the game, nor was there screaming in the locker
room. Remaining calm is something Redmond players have learned from their
past tournament experiences. ``Playoffs
are emotional,'' said Redmond coach Pat Bangasser. ``All year we've talked
about not getting too high or low.''
Bangasser said his team learned its
lesson after beating Kennewick on a last-second shot in 2001, which ended
the Lions' 56-game win streak and sent the Mustangs to the finals. ``We
had nothing left to give in the championship game,'' he said. ``We were
spent.'' And after an
emotional, overtime victory on Wednesday night against Puyallup, Redmond
had to gear up for Enumclaw, a team that has reached the quarterfinals the
past four years.
Redmond struggled from the field,
shooting 37 percent from the field. But the Mustangs took advantage of
their height inside, scoring 20 second-chance points. Leading the way was
Claire Pallansch, who grabbed 10 boards and scored 12 points. The 6-foot-2
junior was 5-for-8 from the field and grabbed six offensive boards.
This is the second straight year
Pallansch has come up big at state. Last year she recorded a double-double
and dominated the glass as a sophomore. Wednesday she had 17 rebounds
against Puyallup. ``Rebounding
is my favorite thing to do,'' she said. ``I don't know if it's the crowd
or it's the court and the great teams. It's just a great thing to play
in.'' Pallansch scored a
decisive basket with 3:30 left when she received an in-bounds pass from
Graham and scored to make it 47-44.
Allison Klingerman, who also had
seven rebounds, scored off a rebound and made two free throws in the final
minute to help secure the victory. Klingerman finished with 14 points.
The Mustangs biggest achievement of
the night was holding Enumclaw's top scorer, Britney Osborn, to six
points, including just two in the second half. Osborn, who averaged 15
points a game, scored 31 on Wednesday. ``Brittney
didn't have one of her better games tonight,'' Enumclaw coach Ted Carlson
said. ``We needed to get better shots down the stretch.'' Jessie
Christensen led the Hornets with 13 points. Brianna Thompson had 12.
Redmond fell behind 33-29 in the
third quarter, be came back to lead 40-38 thanks to junior guard Alex
Tosti. Tosti made a nice scoop shot and then followed a big rebound and
bucket with 42 seconds left in the quarter. Now
Redmond gets the Prairie Falcons, one of the top girls basketball programs
in the state. Redmond lost to Prairie in a heartbreaker 44-43 in the state
quarterfinals three years ago. The Mustangs were up by one point and had
the ball with 30 seconds left, but turned it over. ``They're
a good team every year,'' Bangasser said. ``To win the state championship
you've got to get by the best teams.''
The Falcons reached the semifinals
for the sixth year in a row. They won the title 1994, 1998 and 1999.
Prairie coach Al Aldridge, who coached all of those teams, said he didn't
know much about Redmond. ``We
played Enumclaw and know what they're capable of,'' he said. ``The game
between them will give us an idea what we're in for. It should be a
dandy.''
Enumclaw - Binetti, Christenson
J 13, McCully 4, Clyde 5, Hall,
Clark, Christenson B 8, Osborn 6, Meyers, Young, Thompson 12.
Redmond - Tosti 7, Gillum, Pallansch 12, Flynn 6, Klingerman 14,
Henderson 2, Edwards 5, Graham 7.
Enumclaw 16 9
13 10 - 48
Redmond
13 12 15 13 -
53
March 14
TACOMA (From the Eastside Journal) --
Nothing could have prepared them for this. As the final minute ticked away
and the cold reality started to set in, three Redmond players sat all in a
row, heads buried in their hands, tears sliding down their faces. The
streak was over, and so were their state title hopes. On the other side of
the court Prairie coach Al Aldridge couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
The Falcons coach, who has won three state titles, knew his team had
played as well as it could play-- and had beaten the one of the state's
best. Prairie advanced to the state finals for the second straight year by
gunning down Redmond, the state's only unbeaten Class 4A team, 52-43 at
the state girls basketball tournament at the Tacoma Dome Friday night.
Prairie will get another shot to knock off the two-time defending state
Central Valley Bears in the championship at 7 p.m. today. The Bears
defeated the Falcons 61-43 last year.
Redmond (25-1) will face Garfield
(21-6) at 3:30 p.m. today for third place. Prairie ended Redmond's 27-game
win streak that dated back to last year's state tournament loss to Central
Valley. The Mustangs had little to say after Friday's loss. They had come
in with high expectations. All their hurt could be seen in their eyes. ``I
felt in my heart this team could win a state title,'' Redmond coach Pat
Bangasser said afterward.
Poor shooting led to the Mustangs'
demise Friday night. Redmond shot just 26 percent (15-for-56) for the
game. The Mustangs were even worse from 3-point range, shooting 15 percent
(3-for-19). They entered the tournament shooting 45 percent from 3-point
range. ``Our shots just weren't falling tonight, but that's not an
excuse,'' said Ashley Graham, who scored five points, but had four
assists. ``They came out strong and they're an awesome team and they just
played better than us today.''
It was the third game in a row
Redmond struggled from the field. The Mustangs were 2-for-13 from the
field in the first quarter Friday. They tried to work it inside, but that
didn't help either. Their shots just wouldn't fall. Redmond also got
outmuscled on the boards, another statistical category they have dominated
all year. Prairie out-rebounded Redmond 45-30. ``They had the size
advantage,'' Aldridge said. ``We knew if we didn't battle on the boards
we'd get killed.'' Lauren Short had nine rebounds and Jessica Menkins had
eight for the Falcons. Katie Henderson had a team-high seven rebounds for
Redmond.
The teams were tied at 21-21 at
halftime, but Prairie opened the second half with a 5-0 run. The Falcons
never trailed after that. Prairie built an 11-point lead early in the
fourth quarter, but Allison Klingerman made it 44-35 with 3:24 left in the
game. That was the last time Redmond scored until 29 seconds remaining.
Redmond players tried not to panic, but as shot after shot rimmed out,
desperation started to set in.
``Maybe we panicked a little bit,
but not much,'' said Alex Tosti, who had eight points, including two
3-pointers. ``We tend to be a team that doesn't fold. We were taking good
shots, open shots and they just wouldn't fall.'' Prairie turned to Menkens
and Ticey Westbrooks, two tough guards who each scored 14 points. Menkens
scored nine points in the fourth quarter. ``We knew we could play better
(after the first half),'' Westbrooks said. ``Our shots weren't falling.
Jesse (Menkens) and I knew we had to shoot lights out.'' Redmond's
Mackenzie Flynn had an outstanding game. The sophomore had 11 points and
four assists. Redmond's bench outscored Prairie's 27-1.
For the first time during the
tournament, the Falcons used full-court pressure to try to wear down the
Mustangs, who had played two tough games the two previous nights. '`We
wanted to see if we could be a little disruptive,'' Aldridge said. Redmond
players and coaches said they were ready and prepared for Friday's
semifinal, the shots just didn't fall. ``I'm not sure there was much more
we could do,'' Tosti said.
The Mustangs now will face the
Bulldogs, a team they beat three times this year. Garfield, making its
first trip to state since 1994, fell to Central Valley 64-59 in the other
semifinal. The Bulldogs said the pressure is on the Mustangs. '`I think
we're going to come out more pumped up than any game this season,'' said
Delaney Conway, who scored 16 points Friday. ``They beat up three times,
but I think if we come out fired up we can get the win.''
Prarie - Zarovich, Short
8, Menkens, Benedict 14, Glover, Westbrooks 14, Stratton 5, Donovan,
MacGregor, Gelhar 1, Sitton 10, Griffiths.
Redmond - Tosti 8, Petrie, Gillum, White, Pallansch 2, Radtke,
Flynn 11, Klingerman 7, Henderson 8, Edwards 2, Graham 5.
Prarie
14 7 15 16 - 52
Redmond
9 12 9 13 - 43
March 15
TACOMA (From the Eastside Journal) --
Ashley Graham and Jamie Edwards leaned against each other and posed next
to the sixth-place trophy at center court. The two seniors, who had come
to Tacoma with visions of winning a state title and completing an
undefeated season, smiled wide for the camera. When they ran to the locker
room they smiled. And when they emerged to greet the Mustangs fans after
losing to the Garfield Bulldogs 60-54 in a consolation game at the Class
4A state girls basketball tournament Saturday -- they still smiled. ``I
think we'll remember the friendships and all the good times,'' said
Edwards, who finished her high school career with nine points, including
two 3-pointers. ``We didn't want to be sad today.'' Graham echoed Edwards.
``When we're old we'll remember all the jokes and all the times in the
locker room before games,'' said Graham, the Kingco MVP who scored 13
points. ``We were 25-2. That's pretty good, right?''
Redmond (25-2) fell to Garfield
(22-6) for the first time in four tries this season. The Mustangs defeated
the Bulldogs by five, four and one point, respectively earlier this year,
but Saturday belonged to Garfield. Sophomore Malia O'Neal scored a
game-high 23 points and dished out five assists to lead the Bulldogs to
the third place trophy. ``Either way we placed, but we wanted to beat
Redmond,'' said O'Neal, who sported a fake tattoo on her upper lip that
looked like a milk moustache. ``We had nothing to lose.'' O'Neal did most
of her damage in the third quarter, driving relentlessly to the basket and
scoring eight points. In the fourth, Redmond's defense collapsed on her
and she found senior Delaney Conway, who hit back-to-back 3-pointers to
give Garfield a 51-45 lead with 4:47 left in the game. Graham hit a
3-pointer with 3:17 remaining and Edwards hit another to get Redmond
within four with 1:29 left. But that was as close as the Mustangs could
get.
After the game, Garfield players
took handfuls of ice and dumped them on their coach, Joyce Walker, in
celebration. Walker, the best female basketball player from Washington and
a Garfield graduate, was pleased, but surprised how well her team played
during the tournament. ``I'm at a loss for words,'' said Walker, who still
holds the state tournament record for most points with 114 in 1980. ``It
was great just that we came in and played as hard as we did.'' Conway
closed out her high school career with 16 points. Samantha Tinned, a
freshman, had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Redmond struggled shooting the ball
again Saturday, shooting 33 percent and 31 percent from 3-point range. The
Mustangs entered the tournament shooting 45 percent from beyond the
3-point arc. Redmond's junior center Claire Pallansch, who had a career
week, finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Mackenzie
Flynn had eight points as well. ``We wanted to finish strong and smile
when it was over,'' Flynn said.
Redmond coach Pat Bangasser was the
only one with tears in his eyes -- not for the loss, but at the thought
that he wouldn't coach the seniors again. ``I told them before the game,
`No tears,''' Bangasser said, ``and here I am breaking the rule.'' The
four seniors -- Graham, Edwards, Allison Klingerman and Katie Henderson--
placed every year at state. They ended Kennewick's 56-game win streak and
reached the championship game as sophomores. The next year they lost in
the quarterfinals, only to bounce back with two wins and place fourth.
This year they went undefeated through the regular season, won the Kingco
title, and had fun along the way.
``They were all you could ask
for,'' said Bangasser whose teams have placed every year since he took
over four years ago. ``They're all winners. They had a great will to win.
They got out of holes and they cared about each other. ``Our two losses
were untimely, but we had a blast.''
Garfield and Redmond are expected
to challenge each other for league supremacy again next year. The Mustangs
return Flynn, Pallansch, Alex Tosti, Rachel Gillum, Sydney White, Tanna
Radtke and Elizabeth Petrie. Most saw varsity action and Gillum, Pallansch
and Flynn all started at different times this season. Garfield returns
O'Neal, Ashley Knight, Lacale Pringle and Tinned. O'Neal was a first team
All-Kingco selection and the league's leading scorer with 17 points per
game. ``We've set the bar high,'' Walker said. ``Now it's on us and them
to live up to it. '`Redmond's the best, but we're right there with them.''
Garfield - Conway 16, Simpson
1, Tinned 12, Knight 6, O'Neal 23, Pringle 2, Kendrick.
Redmond - Tosti, Gillum, Pallansch 12, Flynn 8, Klingerman 6,
Henderson 6, Edwards 9, Graham 13.
Garfield 12 14 17
17 - 60
Redmond
15 11 11 17 - 54
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