Napavine's Devanie Kleemyer and Okanogan's Jill Townsend battle for a rebound during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Melissa Lee puts up a shot over Okanogan's Jordan Boesel, left, and Keanna Egbert, right, during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Devanie Kleemyer steals the ball away from Okanogan's Alexis Jones during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
After stealing the ball away from Okanogan's Alexis Jones, Napavine's Devanie Kleemyer briefly losses control of the ball during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Grace Hamre, right, and Melissa Lee attempt to trap Okanogan's Cameron Moses during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine head coach Jeremy Landram talks to his team during a timeout in the third quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Okanogan on Thursday evening at the Spokane Arena.
Napavine's Mollie Olson goes in for a layup past a trio of Okanogan defenders during the third quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Karley Bornstein battles for a rebound with Okanogan's Jill Townsend during the fourth quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Devanie Kleemyer pump fakes a trio of Okanogan defenders during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Melissa Lee vies for a rebound with Okanogan's Keanna Egbert during the third quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Grace Hamre, right, and Melissa Lee attempt to trap Okanogan's Cameron Moses during the third quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Grace Hamre, right, and Melissa Lee attempt to trap Okanogan's Cameron Moses during the third quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Devanie Kleemyer clears space for herself as Okanogan's Jill Townsend flies backward during the first quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Devanie Melissa Lee and Okanogan's Alexis Jones get tied up during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Mollie Olson goes in for a layup past a trio of Okanogan defenders during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
Napavine's Devanie Kleemyer goes in for a layup past a trio of Okanogan defenders during the second quarter of a State 2B Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night.
SPOKANE — The Tigers’ reaction upon learning their first-round state tournament opponent was excitement at getting their shot at the best team in the 2B ranks.
By Thursday night it was hard to argue they’d gotten that particular piece of the state tournament experience out of the way.
The top-ranked, undefeated Bulldogs got a monster game from forward Jill Townsend and cruised in a 67-40 State 2B quarterfinal win over Napavine, sealing a spot in the state semifinals against White Swan.
Townsend, a 5-foot-11 sophomore post, went 11 of 13 from the field and 10 of 12 at the foul line for 33 points, with 10 rebounds and three assists in her first state game in the Spokane Arena.
“She’s good,” Napavine forward Mollie Olson said. “She’s strong. She definitely helps them.”
Townsend scored 22 points in the first half. The Tigers closed the second quarter on a 10-1 run — capped by a 3-pointer from Melissa Lee — to cut what had been a 20-point led to 36-25 at the intermission.
“We got our shot, but we didn’t really come to play, really,” Napavine coach Jeremy Landram said. “That’s what you get, when you count on girls like I have that are 14 to 16 years old, that haven’t been in here and haven’t been in that game.”
Okanogan got 3s from Jordyn Boesel, Alexis Jones and Cameron Moses — and a 3-point play from Townsend — to push the lead to 50-27 late in the third quarter.
Olson, a freshman, led Napavine with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting, and Lee added 9 points, but the Tigers were 6 of 23 (26 percent) from the field in the second half, and couldn’t catch up to a Bulldog team that went 21 of 33 (63 percent) from the field.
“I do think we’re better than what we showed today,” Landram said. “But again, when you count on some people to step up and they don’t, that’s kind of what happens.”
Cameron Moses added 11 points on 3 of 4 shooting from long range for Okanogan (25-0).
Napavine (20-6) will take on Colfax in a loser-out game at 12:15 p.m. Friday.
Note: Okanogan was playing its first state tournament game in Spokane after dropping down from the 1A ranks, where it finished fourth last year.
