ABERDEEN — The third time’s a charm.
After losing both of its regular-season matches with Aberdeen by 13 points, W.F. West came into Sam Benn Gymnasium here Monday night with a plan: Keep Aberdeen’s speedy guards under control, and play well enough on the perimeter to make the Bobcats pay for double-teaming posts Kaylee Hartman and Uriah Thomas.
Mission accomplished.
Megan O’Hara and Ryan Tahl combined for 32 points and W.F. West lived to play another day with a 53-51 Evergreen 2A Conference tiebreaker win.
“That feels a lot better than the last two times we played ‘em,” Bearcat coach Henri Weeks joked.
The Bearcats now host Washougal tonight in a District IV pigtail contest for their third game in five days.
W.F. West trailed by 3 at halftime, but turned things around with an 11-2 run to kick off the second half.
It nearly got away, however. Two technical fouls were assessed at the same time on W.F. West, and Aberdeen’s Sherry Voss hit three of the freebies to cut the lead to 5, before Tahl knocked down one of her five treys to push it back to 8.
Aberdeen, though, wouldn’t go away. The Bobcats knotted the game at 48-all with just 56 seconds left, but Tahl, again, came through with a 3. O’Hara added a pair of free throws on W.F. West’s next possession to put the lead at 5 with 27 seconds left, and Aberdeen was finished.
Tahl hit a sizzling 5 of 7 from behind the arc for 15 points.
“Long drives usually don’t do that,” she joked afterwards, of her shooting after the trip to Grays Harbor.
Weeks called Tahl’s shooting “unbelievable,” and was especially happy with O’Hara’s play.
“What did she not do well?” he asked, of the point guard. “That was the best game I’ve ever seen her play.”
O’Hara scored from outside, knocked down long jumpers and hit four straight free throws in the final minute for 17 points, and added five steals. Uriah Thomas led the Bearcats with eight rebounds, and Kaylee Hartman scored 11 points.
Sherry Voss scored 17 to lead Aberdeen.
The Bearcats’ second loss to the Bobcats came on Friday, Feb. 12, and all but eliminated Chehalis from postseason play. W.F. West would have to beat River Ridge — undefeated at that point and ranked No. 1 in the state — and rival Centralia to force a tiebreaker with the Bobcats.
Weeks told his girls, after the second Aberdeen loss, that they could do it. Ten days later, they’re still alive.
“You can’t ask much more than that,” Weeks said. “To respond the way they have — that’s huge.”
Washougal (3-7 league) is led by guard Alicia McElroy, who scores about 14 points a game.
“We feel like we should have an advantage there, if we play to our strengths,” Weeks said.
The winner of tonight’s play-in game will play at No. 1 River Ridge Friday night.
