Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Erika Brumfield is fouled while putting up a shot during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Shasta Lofgren puts up a shot during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Kiara Steen drives to the hoop on a fast break during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Shasta Lofgren hauls in a pass during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Lexie Strasser puts up a shot during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Erika Brumfield and Lexie Strasser go for the rebound during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Julia Johnson throws a pass into the paint during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Erika Brumfield dives for the ball during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
W.F. West's Kiara Steen puts up a shot during District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
Here are photos from District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament action between Hockinson and W.F. West Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 in Chehalis.
The Bearcats’ strengths this season — namely, playing at a frenetic pace and putting up plenty of 3-pointers — seemed to work against them Friday night.
And Hockinson was more than happy to take advantage.
The Hawks, the third-place team out of the Greater St. Helens 2A Conference, made the most of 28 W.F. West miscues to run away with a 63-44 win in Chehalis Friday night, moving on to the semifinals of the District 4 2A Girls Basketball Tournament.
“We didn’t take them lightly at all, but I thought it was a team we could beat,” Bearcat coach Tom Kelly said, calling the amount of turnovers “ridiculous.” “I thought our defense was just so bad. Just so bad down low and stuff. Whatever we tried, it didn’t matter.”
Hannah Neibauer led the way with 20 points, while Elle Tilkin scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half and added 11 rebounds for the Hawks.
“I thought she did a good job, and I thought Hockinson played well,” Kelly said. “That’s a good team. They’ve got some size, and some quick guards.”
The first half featured 28 total turnovers, with the Bearcats — hosting the contest as the runner-up from the Evergreen 2A Conference — committing 18 against the Hawks’ trapping halfcourt defense, but trailing just 28-26 at the intermission.
“It just kind of snowballed,” Kelly said. “We couldn’t hit shots, the defense was bad, and Hockinson was good. Hockinson pressured us, and that big girl they had — we didn’t have an answer for it.”
Hockinson hit its only two 3-pointers of the game on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter to cap an 8-0 run, and led 42-36 after three. Neibauer, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, completed a 3-point play to open the final stanza, but W.F. West managed just one field goal over the final five minutes of the game. The Hawks, meanwhile, closed it out on a 16-3 run, turning what had been a 6-point game early in the fourth into a more comfortable margin of victory.
Lexi Strasser paced W.F. West with 15 points, while Shasta Lofgren finished with 12. The Bearcats went 1 of 14 from long range, and 5 of 12 from the foul line.
The shooting, Kelly added, was an issue.
“We’re not the best shooters in the world. The mechanics are bad, and we’ve got to change that in the offseason,” he said. “That’s got to be the main focus.”
W.F. West did hold a 36-24 advantage on the glass, and forced Hockinson into 19 turnovers. Erika Brumfield grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and scored 7 points, while Kiara Steen added 9 points.
Hockinson (12-9) moves on to face Mark Morris on Monday night in the semifinals at R.A. Long High School. W.F. West will take on Tumwater in a loser-out game Monday night, at a site and time to be determined.
