Sixth in State!

“Don’t be afraid to put on the glass slipper.” This was the message Head Coach Jeff Pietz had for his young basketball team as they headed to Yakima for the State Tournament in February. They finished their up and down season third in League and Districts; their longest winning streak was just three in a row. But this team fought hard and saved some of their best play for the State Tournament.

At the District level, they played the number two seed Chelan at Chelan. This game proved to be a nail-biter. With just 32 seconds left, A sophomore made a three pointer to put the Eagles up by one and then was fouled; she made one of her two free throws. Next, she fouled a Chelan player with just seven seconds left in the game. The Chelan player missed her first of one and one, but Chelan got off a three pointer with just three seconds left...and missed. The Eagles got the rebound and the win!

This placed them in the first round of Regionals against their nemesis, Colfax. The Eagles dropped the game to the Bulldogs which pitted them against Brewster in a loser out, winner to state game. Brewster had knocked the Eagles out of a state berth last year, so this was a game our ladies wanted. In what Coach Pietz called “one of our best defensive games,” the Eagles forced one of Brewster’s better players to turn the ball over seven times. A senior hit key free throws to help the Eagles beat Brewster and earn their berth to State!

At State the girls, played solid defense to defeat Bellevue Christian by eleven points in the first game. In the quarter finales the Eagles played one of their overall best games of the year against Connell. They gave a great team effort, with three players scoring in the double digits. In the second quarter, the Eagles out-scored their opponent 14 to two. With this 45 - 35 victory, the Lady Eagles were assured of a trophy.

Lynden Christian was 25 - 0 and is who the Eagles faced in their semifinal game. Our Eagles fought hard, but were defeated by an excellent team, who went on to win the State Tournament. This placed the ladies in a game for third or sixth against Granger. Although seniors gave great efforts, diving on the floor for balls, the Eagles came up short; they simply “ran out of gas.” Thus, our young Lady Eagle Basketball team ended their season Sixth in State. As Coach Pietz stated, “This team really put it together at the end, believed in each other, and played for each other. It was fun.”