Current conditions unavailable
Make it four straight wins for the Tigers and the last three have all come down to the final seconds, the latest a 48-47 thriller against 3A Snohomish on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Lynden Christmas Classic.
It sets up a championship matchup between Napavine and Lynden, two of the powerhouses in the state. Tip is slated for 2:45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The Tigers (7-2) rallied down as much as eight in the fourth to come away on top.
Hayden Kaut made two straight shots to cut the margin to one before Nicholle Valentine gave Napavine the lead at 46-45 and made it a three-point game with 1:05 remaining. After the Panthers cut the deficit back to one, they had a chance after a turnover.
Their shot with 2.9 seconds missed, the Tigers controlled the board and ran an out of bounds play that kept possession and the win. Kaut finished with a 23-point and 11-rebound double-double while Valentine added eight points.
Hannah Fay didn’t score, but had five assists, four boards and three steals for Napavine.
“We did a great job keeping our composure,” Napavine head coach Shane Schutz said. “Kids executed the out of bounds play perfectly.”
