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Thursday, March 7, 2002
Tenino triumphs Beavers buck recent history with victory in first round GAIL WOOD THE OLYMPIAN
YAKIMA -- Ghosts of playoffs past chased Sarah Hollingsworth all around the court.
Tenino's last two trips to girls 2A state basketball tournament started the same way: with a first-round loss.
On Wednesday, Hollingsworth and her teammates were desperate not to repeat their past first-round mistakes.
Mission accomplished.
The fourth-ranked Beavers held an upset minded Lynden Christian to just one field goal in the fourth quarter to turn a tight game into a 52-36 blowout victory, advancing Tenino to today's second-round game against Ephrata.
"It's a huge weight off our shoulders," said Hollingsworth, one of two seniors on a team that is making its third straight trip to state after a 25-year absence. "There's no way we wanted to lose our first game again. This game was so important."
Two years ago, when Tenino was the surprise qualifier for state, most of its lineup was made up of sophomores and freshmen. Nikki Johnson and Whitney Evander, a pair of wide-eyed freshman on that team two years ago, looked like old pros against a slower Lyncs defense, combining for 30 points.
"We're not the underdogs anymore," said Evander, who finished with 14 points. "Teams are aiming for us. That's good. I like that role better."
Hollingsworth showed her grit early, knocking down her team's first two baskets and scoring six of Tenino's first eight points. Evander added two 3-pointers later in the quarter and the Beavers led 16-4.
"Last year, we wouldn't have shot that way," Hollingsworth said. "We would have been, 'Gee, this is state.' And we would have messed up."
But not now. Not with experience and a 22-2 record on their side.
"Experience is huge," Tenino coach Jason Suess said. "Being here before is a big, big plus. We're not satisfied with just being here. We've set a goal to finish in the top five."
Tenino, three wins from a first-ever state championship, goes for win No. 2 today against the a Ephrata team that beat Riverside 64-40 in the opening round.
Although Tenino won by 16, Lynden Christian, which started a 5-foot-3 freshman at point guard and a 6-2 junior at center, didn't go down easy. After the Beavers opened a 32-26 lead midway through the third quarter, Lynden Christian pulled to within 32-30 with 3:30 left in the third.
But Tenino, now shaken and by now well-versed in pressure, answered with a 20-3 run. Evander and Johnson kick-started that avalanche of points with back-to-back 3-pointers.
"I wasn't worried," Suess said. "This team is used to pressure. Last week, we trailed Woodland by nine early in the fourth quarter and came back to win. They are all competitors. They all want to win."
In the fourth quarter, Tenino's pressuring defense held Lynden Christian to just one free throw through the first 7:30 of the quarter. An off-balanced 3-pointer flung up by a reserve with 20 seconds left in the game avoided a shutout from the field. It was Lynden's only made 3-pointer after 13 misses.
Lindsey Riner's steal and layin early in the fourth quarter helped spark Tenino's run.
"That got us going," Suess said. "Defense is what gets this team going."
After Hollingsworth's high-octane start, the senior forward finished with 10 points, two above her season average.
"I'm a streaky shooter," she said. "When they're in, they're in. When they're not, they're way off."
She finished 4-for-10 from the field and the Beavers went 19-for-49, including 5-for-11 from 3-point range.
"Sarah has the prettiest shot around," Seuss said. "She just doesn't have the confidence in it. She needs to shoot more."
She'll get that chance today in the Beavers' 7:30 p.m. game.
Evander and Johnson both played cat-and-mouse against Lynden's defense, popping the outside shot or driving to the basket when the defense got too close. Both players sank 3-pointers from 5 feet behind the arc. They were a combined 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
"We didn't want to give them any outside shots, but when you get up close on them they're fast enough to drive by you," Lynden coach Curt De Haan said. "They're too fast for us. A big part of their success is because of their quickness."
Ephrata is 17-6 and is led by 6-1 forward Michelle Mickle, who is averaging 18.6 points per game.
Gail Wood covers sports for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5432 or GWOOD@olympia.gannett.com
For more Prep Sports stories go to the Prep Sports section.
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