AUBURN — The Camas women basketball group’s standing within the state playoffs didn’t change a lot regardless of a loss within the 4A bi-district championship on Saturday night time.
That didn’t imply the loss didn’t damage.
Ariyana Deloney hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to raise a younger and tenacious Auburn group to a 46-45 win over the Papermakers at Auburn Excessive Faculty.
“We would have loved to cut down those nets,” Camas coach Scott Thompson stated. “But at the end of the day, this only mattered from a seeding standpoint. We took this as an opportunity to get better and grow. And if you looked at our first-half performance and compared it our second-half performance, I think we grew. I think we got better.”
That each one could also be true. However the anguish on the coach’s section revealed the sting the defeat left after a wild end to the sport.
After Auburn pushed its result in 31-25 halfway by way of the third quarter, the Papermaker fought again to take a 33-31 lead late within the third.
After Lauren Hood’s 3-pointer obtained Camas inside 37-36 with 5:51 to play, the competition was a one-possession recreation the remainder of the best way.
Keirra Thompson’s 3-pointer — her sixth of the sport — tied the sport 39-39 with 3:34 left. Thompson later discovered Sophie Buzzard inside for a 41-39 lead with 2:35 to go.
However Avery Hansen transformed a 3-point play with 2:25 left to place Auburn up 42-41. The Trojans would later add a free throw to make it 43-41.
When a ball that went out of bounds was dominated Camas possession, Auburn coach Jessica Hansen protested, drawing a technical foul with 56 seconds.
Thompson transformed each free throws to tie the sport 43-43. On the following inbounds, Auburn was whistled on a holding foul earlier than the ball was put into play, and Thompson hit these free throws to place Camas up 45-43, nonetheless with 56 seconds to play.
Auburn labored diligently for a shot on its subsequent possession with Camas twice virtually arising with a turnover. Then the Trojans discovered Deloney alone within the nook, and the junior buried the go-ahead 3-pointers.
Thompson shortly moved the ball upcourt and labored feverishly to create a gap for a shot. Earlier than she may try this, the senior guard was whistled for an offensive foul with 1.8 seconds to play.
Auburn inbounded the ball and last horn sounding, sending the Trojans into celebration.
Keirra Thompson completed with 24 factors and Lauren Hood has 12 for Camas (19-6). Avery Hansen led Auburn with 22 factors.
Camas (19-6) now awaits the draw for the 4A state playoffs on Sunday to seek out out who the Papermakers face and the place.
A win on Saturday and Camas may have made a case for a top-4 seed as bi-district champs and get a recreation near dwelling within the regional spherical subsequent weekend.
Now, it seems to be just like the Papermakers shall be on the street.
“When it comes down to it, we’re just looking to get better,” Scott Thompson stated. “And I feel there are lots of positives that come out of this. They make a 3 on the finish of the sport, and we’re not going to let that affect with how completely satisfied we’re with the best way we performed. If the ball bounced off, we’re chopping nets down and we’re actually enthusiastic about how we performed. So simply because it went in doesn’t imply we’re not enthusiastic about how we performed.
“We absolutely are proud of these girls and how they performed today. We wished that thing hadn’t gone in. But at the end of the day, it did. And so we’re just going to take it as a learning opportunity.”
4A BOYS, AUBURN 55, CAMAS 47 — The Papermaker boys had been additionally left with a case of the what-ifs after falling within the 4A bi-district title recreation.
Camas fought to the very finish towards the top-seeded Trojans, however poor free-throw taking pictures thwarted the Papermakers’ comeback efforts.
Camas shot 8 for 18 from the road within the second half, in comparison with 13 for 15 for Auburn. And the distinction in missed free throws proved to equal the ultimate margin of the sport.
After Camas tied the sport 27-27 halfway by way of the third quarter, the Trojans pushed their result in 36-30 on the finish of the third.
Auburn would prolong its result in as many as 14 factors, showing to seal the win with 50-36 lead late.
However the Papermakers ran off 9 straight factors to get inside 50-45 and had an opportunity to chop it even nearer.
Then Ethan Harris’ 3-point try was off the mark, and the Papermakers had been pressured to foul, permitting Auburn to seal the sport on the line.
Jace VanVoorhis led Camas (20-5) with 15 factors, and Harris and Channing Nesland added 10 factors.
Daniel Johnson had 22 factors to guide Auburn (23-1).