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NWAACC coverage from Kennewick, Wash.
Lady Saints comeback falls short in tourney
The Advocate
In their first trip to the NWAACC tournament in more than a decade, the Saints women’s basketball team staged a furious comeback Thursday afternoon but fell just short in a first-round loss to Skagit Valley in Kennewick, Wash.
The Saints, who trailed by as many as 22 in the second half, lost 79-72 in a 2 p.m. game to the North Region champions, who were 16-0 in the regular season and 24-1 overall.
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In what looked like a blowout with just two minutes to go, the Saints drained four three-pointers in a row from four different players to pull back within reach but couldn’t catch up.
The Saints (8-6 league, 16-11 overall) will now take on the Highline Thunderbirds who come into the tournament as a three seed coming from the West Region. The Saints, the fourth seed from the South Region, were scheduled to play the Thunderbirds at 8 a.m. today. The Advocate went to press Thursday afternoon shortly after the MHCC-Skagit Valley game.
“It is a game we need to win or else it’s back on the highway home,” said Saints Guard Alexandra Melonson.
Jumping out early Thursday on the Cardinals, the Saints opened with a 10-foot jump shot by freshman Brittany Yates followed by a three-pointer from Alexandra Melonson. The Saints posted an early 8-0 point lead on the Cardinals.
But with sloppy play and too many offensive rebounds for the Cardinals, the Saints ended the half down 37-33. The Saints used the three-point shooting to stay close, and freshman guard Brooklyn Bahme was shooting 50 percent from the field. Davis wanted to keep the pace fast in the Lady Saints style of basketball and not turn the game into a half-court style, which is the way the Cardinals love to play.
“We fell into the style we didn't want to play,” said Cardinals Head Coach Steve Epperson. “We called a timeout and I told the ladies let’s go, and we started to play how we wanted in the second half.”
The Saints struggled on the defensive boards in the first half, giving up 18 offensive rebounds while also committing 10 turnovers.
“We were ready for them,” said Saints Head Coach Larry Davis. “We knew we had to stop them but we just couldn't do it.”
Coming out of the half, the Saints showed a burst but soon lost the spark and let the Cardinals dominate the game, with the lead getting as high as 22 points.
Two MHCC players ended the game in double figures but the team couldn't climb out of the hole they dug late in the game when their defense went flat. Bahme led the way with 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Sophomore guard Chelsey Ramos also had a big game, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc for 11 points. Freshman guard Brittany Yates helped by scoring nine points, as did with freshman Katie Smith.
“It feels really good to be shooting so well,” said Ramos. “It is the end of the season and this when I need to be able to shoot like I did.
The Saints went 26 of 73 from the field, committed 21 turnovers and gave up 26 offensive rebounds.
The Cardinals guard play eventually won out with Keri Arendse and Brittany Janz both scoring over 20 points to help the Cardinals build its lead. Arendse also had 14 rebounds and four assists to go with her 20-point performance.
“You need to make shots down the stretch,” said Epperson. “We didn't do that at the start of both halves but we eventually started to hit and pull away.”
With the team already struggling behind the arc, they still couldn't overcome the dominance of the undefeated Cardinals.
“We were prepared to beat them,” said Davis. “We just couldn't keep up the intensity and the turnovers is what killed us. We knew we had to stop them (Arendse and Janz) but we just couldn't.”
Epperson said he knew Mt. Hood would give them a run for their money but was happy to get the victory and show why they are a force to be reckoned with in this tournament.
“We knew they were a very defensive team,” he said. “We knew they had shooters we had to contain in Bahme and Melonson and we did that quite well.”
He also said he knew MHCC could ruin his team’s championship hopes because of how physical the Lady Saints play.
About Friday’s game: The Saints have not faced the Highline Thunderbirds this season. However, the Thunderbirds have played other Southern Region teams and lost every game they played. Highline was 11-5 in their region and 16-13 overall.
Highline is led in scoring by 5’7” sophomore guard Jazzmn Montogmery (11.1 ppg), who was held to 10 points in their first-round game against Walla Walla. But the guard-oriented Thunderbirds feature a balanced scoring attack, with seven players averaging seven more points per game. Five of their top six scorers are guards.
“If we end up playing (Highline), we are definitely the favorites,” Davis said earlier this week. “They lost to Clackamas and SWOCC and those are teams we beat this year. As long as we play our game, then we are fine.”