KELSO — If you’re Samantha Gordon, you’re feelin’ pretty good right about now.
The Onalaska senior hit the game-winning 3-pointer to keep the Loggers’ state hopes alive, and end Winlock’s season, with a 42-39 win here Thursday night in the District IV 1A Girls Basketball Tournament.
“It was a great basketball game,” said Logger coach Doug Ashmore, brother of Winlock coach Scott Ashmore. “When somebody loses on a last second shot, I know how (Scott) was feeling. His girls had a heck of a season.”
But the Cardinals had one final heave with less than a second remaining after a timeout was spent.
“Our second quarter was huge for us,” said Ashmore, whose team outscored Winlock 13-5 in that frame. “We tried a couple things with half court defense, but it didn’t work and we went back to man and got a lead at halftime.
But after intermission, the Cardinals came out and outscored the Loggers 12-8, and 13-12 in the final frame.
“We were feeling good, playing good basketball, and then Winlock went into their 2-2-1 full court press,” Ashmore said. “We did not handle the ball well, and a lot of that was Winlock putting the pressure on us.”
Gordon finished the game with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists, and held Winlock’s leading scorer, Julie Jacobo, to 13 points.
“She did a great job on Julie Jacobo,” Ashmore said. “Every night I put her on the best player, and she did a heck of a job.”
Kalie Ritchey led the Logger attack with 14 points, and Autumn Durand had 9. Both players, along with Sarah Barnes, had eight rebounds in the contest.
For Winlock, Courtney Suter had 11. Jacobo also had eight rebounds.
Onalaska (18-6) plays La Center for third place Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Kelso. The winner will advance to the State 1A Girls Basketball Tournament next week in Yakima, while the loser’s season is finished.
