2B Girls: Napavine Comes Out Hot, Downs MWP 53-35

ROCHESTER — The Tigers’ plan wasn’t any different than it ever is — press early, get a lot of shots and build a lead.

The only difference in Saturday’s 53-35 win over Morton-White Pass was the implications.

The District 4 2B girls quarterfinal victory puts the Tigers back in the regional playoffs, and marks off the first of two steps in getting back to the State 2B tournament.

There’s also, though, the matter of a district championship — something else the Tigers are eyeballing, after coming up just short last season to eventual state runner-up Wahkiakum.

“That’s one of our team goals, was to get to regionals, but we have one more,” Napavine coach Jeremy Landram said. “We’d like to get back to the district title game that we lost last year and see if we can avenge that.”

The early going was as fast-paced as it ever is for Napavine. The Tigers forced nine turnovers in the first quarter, scored 13 unanswered points to open the game, and had a 23-4 lead once the initial eight minutes were up.

Mollie Olson finished with 20 points to lead Napavine, scoring 14 in the first quarter and, at one point, 8 in a row.

The second quarter was more of the same; Napavine knocked out a 10-0 run and, after MWP’s Sharon Hazen started the second quarter with a 3-pointer, held the Timberwolves without a field goal for a 7 ½ minutes stretch leading into halftime.

“That was our idea, to try to have a good first half to put them away early,” Landram said. “Because at districts, if you let anyone hang around, it can get very interesting, very fast.”

It did get interesting late, though the game was too far out of hand for it to make any more than a cosmetic difference.

The Timberwolves scored the bulk of their points in the fourth, finishing the game on an 18-0 run with a scarce number of starters in on the action. Freshman Carly King scored 6 straight in that run, while Taylor Nilius and Jacie Dunlap — also freshmen — each added 5.

Napavine (20-2) moves on the tournament semifinals, where it gets its rematch with Wahkiakum on Wednesday night in Tumwater with an 8 p.m. tipoff.

Morton-White Pass (12-10) will take on North Beach at 1 p.m. Monday in Montesano in a loser-out consolation match.

Pirates Blow Out No. 2 Ilwaco

MONTESANO — The Lady Fishermen cruised into the district quarterfinals here Saturday carrying the Pacific 2B League championship and the No. 2 ranking in the AP state poll.

The Pirates walked in with a game plan and walked out with a win.

Adna had four players hit double figures and trounced Ilwaco, 62-39, in the District 4 2B tournament to secure a regional playoff spot.

“We had a good game plan going in, and the whole team — the bench, and everybody — executed the game plan to perfection,” Adna coach Chris Bannish said. “We put in a lot of time studying film and things like that, and they carried it out.”

The Pirates went on a 32-17 run over the two middle quarters to build the bulk of their lead. Shanay Dotson and Devanie Kleemeyer each scored 12 points, while Kenya Lorton scored 11 — with 8 coming in the second quarter, on 4 of 5 shooting.

Lili Glover came off the bench to add 10 points, and reserve Isabella Elwood added 6 points and 10 rebounds. Sam Rolfe tallied 8 points for the Pirates.

Lorton and Dotson’s handling of Ilwaco’s press, Bannish added, was a big key.

“We were able to get into our sets and run our offense, and that’s kind of been our M.O.,” he said. “We haven’t handled pressure real well, and we did today.”

Adna picked up 14 offensive rebounds in the contest, and shot 76 percent — 16 of 21 — from the foul line.

Hannah Elsworth led Ilwaco with 13 points, and Madeline Jacobson added 12. The Pirates held Pacific 2B League MVP Makenzie Kaech to 8 points, and the Fishermen shot 2 of 15 from long range.

Adna (16-6) will take on Toutle Lake — which beat Onalaska, 56-32, on Saturday in another quarterfinal — on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Tumwater High School in the District 4 semifinals.