Mountaineers explode in fourth to top Pirates, win district title

Through two and a half quarters, it seemed that this year’s district title game was going to go the same way it did last year for Rainier.

The Mountaineers’ defense was keeping them in the game against Adna at W.F. West on Saturday night, but their offense was struggling, and they were running out of time to find answers.

Their last two shots of the third seemed ordinary. Jazzlyn Shumate connected on a mid-range jumper, and Lexi Beckman made a layup underneath through contact to put them within seven at the end of the third.

“It kind of just propelled us forward from there,” Rainier coach Brandon Eygabroad said. “They looked up at the scoreboard and said now or never.”

The Mountaineers flipped the script in the fourth, taking the lead and running away with a 44-32 victory over the Pirates. It’s Rainier’s first district title since 2011, when it won the second of back-to-back 1A District 4 titles.

The Mountaineers entered the fourth down 26-19, but they outscored Adna 25-6 in the final frame to avenge last season’s loss to Napavine in the district title game.

“It’s ultra-satisfying,” Eygabroad said. “Last year didn’t end the way we wanted to. They’ve been really focused and it's been our goal since the end of last year to end up right here. It goes to their hard work and the effort that, especially this senior group, has put in.”

“I always tell them ‘you can’t have success before you fail,’” he continued. “We failed last year, and it prepared us for this moment.”

Everything went Rainier’s way in the fourth, starting on the first possession of the quarter. Beckman hit another shot inside, and Angelica Askey followed with her first three of the game.

After an Adna free throw, Brooklynn Swenson converted a three-point play and went 3 for 3 at the line on their next possession to give the Mountaineers’ their first lead since early in the second quarter.

Those two plays kickstarted an 18-2 Rainier run, one that flipped a 27-24 deficit into a 42-29 advantage.

“I always tell my girls ‘at any time, we can turn it on,” Eygabroad said. “‘Don’t wait.’ They went after it, and ended up on top after it was all said and done.”

Swenson finished with a team-high 13 points, while Bryn Beckman and Janess Blackburn both scored eight. Bryn Beckman also added 12 rebounds and two steals, while Lexi Beckman finished with six points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

Swenson did leave the game late with a lower-leg injury, and she had to be helped out of the gym after the game.

The only Adna points during Rainier’s run came off a pair of Karsyn Freeman free throws. 

After Freeman hit a layup with two minutes to play in the third, the Pirates didn’t connect on another field goal until Gaby Guard connected on a three in the final seconds of the game, when the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

To make matters worse, the Pirates committed several turnovers, including a few unforced turnovers that allowed Rainier to continue to build momentum.

“We had the game where we wanted it,” Adna coach Chris Bannish said. “We didn’t finish. That’s gonna be the message here. We played for three quarters and we didn’t finish.”

Bannish chalked the late struggles up to a couple of key points, including Adna’s inability to execute its half-court offense and Rainier’s physicality in the final frame.

“It’s just executing when things aren’t going your way,” Bannish said, while the cheers from the Rainier faithful made their way into the Adna locker room. “When you’re down three, when you’re down five, you gotta have perfect execution to get the looks that we want. And we didn’t get those.”

Freeman finished with 18 to lead all scorers, and she also grabbed six rebounds. Guard finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and a pair of assists, while McKenna Torrey scored three. Bailey Chapman added two points, six rebounds, and four blocks.

Both the Pirates (21-2) and Mountaineers (20-3) are expected to be top-four seeds, meaning they will host Regional Round games with a first-round bye in Spokane on the line. 

They would still be through to Spokane with a loss, but they would need to win four days in a row to win a state title. They’ll find out their seeds and opponents on Sunday.

Adna won its Regional Round matchup against Okanogan, the eventual 2B runner-up, last season, and Bannish is confident that his group has what it takes to get back in the win column next weekend.

“I wanted the nets for them,” Bannish said. “They deserve that … I know what I have in this locker room, and they’ll get back at it. There still is another opportunity to do that.”

Eygabroad is also confident, saying he believes his team is well-prepared for another crack after losing a regional last February.

“Just super proud of my girls,” Eygabroad said. “They went out and battled for 32 minutes and really put it all on the line. They continue to sacrifice for each other and it’s been a really, really fun group to coach.”