YAKIMA — The Seton Catholic ladies basketball crew’s season got here to an finish Friday with a 64-61 loss to Naches Valley within the comfort spherical of the Class 1A state event.
It was a troublesome defeat for the crew seeking to safe the primary state trophy in program historical past. The Cougars led 52-35 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“These girls, they left everything they had out on the court,” head coach Phil Kent mentioned. “They were just out of gas. Hats off to Naches. They kept coming at us. They got a roll going and we just had nothing left.”
Seton Catholic (19-8) clinched its first journey to the Yakima Valley SunDome with a gap spherical win over Zillah final week. That clinched a berth within the quarterfinals, the place the Cougars fell to 48-39 to Annie Wright on Thursday.
“When you get to the Elite Eight, there’s no easy wins,” Kent mentioned. “You saw that today and yesterday where you have to finish.”
Kent hopes his crew, which begins 4 juniors, will use this week’s state event expertise to set the bar for subsequent season.
“Number one, recognize and appreciate how hard it is to get here,” he mentioned. “This was a long, tough, hard-fought journey.”
Riley Seymer, who scored 15 factors, is a part of a junior class that reached the opening spherical of the state event the earlier two years. She mentioned Friday’s loss elevated the Cougars’ starvation to return to Yakima.
“We hadn’t been able to get over that hump,” Seymer mentioned. “This year we finally did. We got to play two games in the dome. It was excited and amazing. …Next year, coming into it, we know how it feels to be here. The fact that we did lose makes it that much more of a goal now.”
Seton’s lone beginning senior, Hailey Hammerstrom mentioned she felt a mixture of disappointment, pleasure and pleasure.
“Obviously we’re sad about this loss, but I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” she mentioned. “This junior class is going to excel in the next year. I can’t wait to watch it.”
Seton Catholic began quick behind Remy Jenniges, who scored 16 of her 21 factors within the first half, together with 4 3-pointers. Madison Lee added 14 factors, together with a 3-pointer that put the Cougars forward 45-29 halfway by the third quarter.
Naches Valley rallied behind Maddy Jewett, who scored 11 of her game-high 34 factors within the fourth quarter. Denali St. Martin hit a 3-pointer to place the Rangers forward 60-59 with 42 seconds to play.
Turnovers on Seton’s subsequent two possessions cleared the way in which for Naches Valley (22-7) to play within the fourth-place recreation Saturday towards Zillah.
NACHES VALLEY 64, SETON CATHOLIC 61
NACHES VALLEY (22-7) — Addi VanWagoner 0, Emary Rowe 0, Ellie Greatest 8, Denali St. Martin 8, Emmaria Medonza 4, Bella Rowe 3, Kaitlyn VanAmburg 0, Finley Hahn-Keenan 7, Maddy Jewett 34, MK St. Martin 0. Totals 21 (5) 17-33 64.
SETON CATHOLIC (19-8) — Madison Lee 14, Kingsley Williams 0, CJ Moore 0, Naomi Jackson 2, Remy Jenniges 21, Tegan Figueroa 0, Tiffany Sheldon 2, Emma Whitehouse 4, Hailey Hammerstrom 3, Riley Seymer 15. Totals 20 (9) 12-14 61.
Naches Valley 9 14 12 29 — 64
Seton Catholic 16 20 16 9 — 61