WIAA 4A/3A girls basketball game of day: Central Valley wins semifinal stare down of state powers

Top seed Bears eliminate four-time defending state champion Garfield in game that comes down to final seconds

Top seed Central Valley, led by Brynn McGaughy, holds off four-time defending state champion in WIAA Class 4A girls semifinals Friday. / Photo by Todd Milles

TACOMA, Wash.- The top-ranked Central Valley Bears girls basketball team headed into Thursday’s quarterfinals needing just three wins to cap off an undefeated season with a state championship.

They knew their task wasn’t going to be easy, but even they may have underestimated just how hard it would be.

The Bears (26-0) faced No. 19 seed Garfield in the semifinals Friday. If you didn’t know anything about the teams, most would just look at the rankings and assume the Bears would roll to an easy win. But the Bulldogs weren’t any normal 19-seed. They were the four-time defending 3A state champions.

And they gave the Bears everything they could handle.

It took a defensive stand as time expired, but Central Valley survived, 51-49, to earn its spot in Saturday night’s championship game at the Tacoma Dome.

 “It took everything we had,” Central Valley girls coach Jason Wilson said. “Four-time champs. The tradition. They’ve got great athletes and a great coach. We knew if we didn’t get give everything we had, it was going to be tough. And we did. That was by far the best offensive team we’ve played all year.

“They’re not going to go out easy,” Wilson added. “When you’re that level of program, that’s not easy. The fact that they’re a 19-seed is kind of amazing.”

Wilson also said the Bulldogs are the most physical team the Bears have played all year, which was evident late in the fourth quarter when Garfield had to claw its way back into the game.

“We haven’t played a team like that all year,” Wilson said. “The physicality and the athleticism. It’s amazing. If that’s what the (Metro) league is like every night, holy cow.”

The Bears took their biggest lead of the game at 49-39 with 4:36 to play in the fourth quarter. Garfield had several shots falter in the early minutes of the fourth quarter that allowed the Bears to build up the lead.

“It’s the name of the game,” Garfield girls coach Roydell Smiley II said. “Some go and some don’t. You keep shooting them though. You keep shooting them and you make the adjustments in game if you can. You never shy away from shooting the big shots.”

The Bulldogs had one final push left.

They scored the next seven points to get the game back to a one-possession difference.

“The (officials) allowed them to play during that time,” Smiley II said. “We didn’t change anything up. We kept trapping. We kept playing the same defense. They just allowed them to. We were able to get back into it and make it again, and that’s something to be proud of.”

After two Central Valley free throws, Garfield junior Lena Most hit a straightaway 3-pointer to cut the deficit back to two. Garfield was forced to foul Central Valley senior Brynn McGaughy with 10.3 seconds left, but McGaughy missed both free throws giving Garfield one final chance to tie or take the lead.

Garfield ran a high pick-and-roll with Most and junior forward Star Smiley. Most drove the lane, but lost the ball and the Bears secured it as time expired.

“It’s crazy to think that was probably one of the worst games we’ve ever played (together), and we still won by two,” McGaughy said.

Central Valley was led in scoring by sophomore Drae Domebo, who finished with 12. McGaughy added 11.

Central Valley also had to overcome the loss of one of its top player, senior Eden Sander, who fouled out with 2:58 remaining. Sander picked up her fourth foul with 3:02 to play and fouled out four seconds later when she was called for an offensive foul.

“We believe in our talent and the ability on our team,” Wilson said. “Obviously, Eden is a very important player for us. We do a lot of things through her. When we really need a play on either end, we got to Eden. She’s so good with her hands defensively. She’s great getting downhill offensively, and kind of just making that right offensive play.

“Even though we want her out there, we didn’t panic.”

The Bears will play for the championship at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

“It’s what we wanted,” Wilson said. “It’s what we’ve been working for. I can’t say it’s not what we expected. We thought if we put in the work and did everything we can, we could put ourselves in this position. This is where we are, and we’re hoping to pay it off tomorrow.

“All the times where I’m ranting and raving at practice, or on the bus or whatever. And all the late nights and the film and emails and all that, it’s all to give ourselves a chance to do this and make a memory that will last a lifetime. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Garfield, who was led in scoring by senior Jayda Lewis, who had 14, will play at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday in the third-fifth place game.

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