TACOMA — The Mountain View women basketball workforce got here to Tacoma on Friday figuring out it had two probabilities to clinch its this system’s first state-playoff berth in 24 years.
After letting a golden alternative to clinch that berth slip away final weekend, the Thunder didn’t need to depart something to likelihood on Friday.
Mountain View rallied from an early deficit, then fended off a comeback try by Bellarmine Prep to beat the Lions 54-44 within the 3A bi-district playoffs to clinch a state berth.
“I just go to that River Ridge game,” Mountain View coach Chuck Knight stated of the Thunder’s 50-47 additional time loss final Saturday within the 3A bi-district quarterfinals. “That was a tough loss. That hurt. We felt like we let an opportunity slip away. The consequences of that loss were huge.”
It despatched the Thunder into the comfort bracket, needing two extra wins to clinch a state berth.
Mountain View acquired the primary Tuesday towards Silas. The second regarded prefer it may get away from the Thunder after Bellarmine Prep jumped out to a 15-7 lead after the primary quarter.
However Mountain View responded by scoring the primary eight factors within the second quarter to get again within the recreation.
“I think a lot of it is we just have sheer will,” junior Layla Senderson stated. “We didn’t want to lose this one because it was going to hurt really bad if we had to stay the night here. I think everyone wanted to go home on a good note.”
Senderson needed to present some sheer will simply to complete the sport. The junior needed to be helped to the bench with 5:50 left within the third quarter with an ankle damage after scrambling for a unfastened ball with a Bellarmine’s Stella Wiggins.
“She scared me,” senior teammate Sveva Bernasconi stated. “She really scared me.”
Senderson returned to the sport about three minutes later and the sport tied 27-27.
The Thunder then went on a 12-3 run to finish the quarter with Senderson and sophomore Mylee Thompson each hitting huge 3-pointers.
Clinging to a 39-30 lead, the Thunder began battling foul bother. Thompson picked up her fourth foul with 7:00 left, and Jadlyn Senderson picked up her fourth 30 seconds later.
“It’s been a constant struggle for us,” Knight stated. “We get in foul trouble because the kids are the type that just want to compete so much that sometimes they overdo things. You don’t want to take too much of that out of them, but we just got to play smarter.”
Bernasconi stated the Thunder knew it was going to be a bodily recreation.
“We came knowing that they were going to foul us,” Bernasconi stated. “They were going to hit our arms. We had to be prepared for that, not react to the refs, and just try to play through it.”
Senderson stated: “No one will ever hit us harder than we hit each other in practice.”
And the Thunder additionally hit some huge photographs down the stretch. Amaya Paschal hit a 3-pointer to place Mountain View up 46-37 with 3:03 left to play.
Jadlyn Senderson hit one other 3-pointer to place the Thunder up 51-39 with 2:14 to go.
The Lions didn’t get nearer than seven factors the remainder of the way in which.
Thompson and Layla Senderson led the Thunder with 13 factors every, and Jadlyn Senderson scored 12 factors.
The Thunder went dwelling completely satisfied Friday night time. They’ll await to see who they meet within the state playoffs on Sunday.
“It’s so rewarding seeing all the effort we put in practice,” Bernasconi stated. “We know how hard we work in practice every day. Even maybe other people are not working, we’re always working. And all the effort being rewarded feels really, really good.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW 54, BELLARMINE PREP 44
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Mylee Thompson 13, Jadlyn Senderson 12, Layla Senderson 13, Collette Kuffner 0, Sveva Bernasconi 6, Camaria Brown 2, Amaya Paschal 7, Ashlee Heer 1. Totals 16 (8) 14-18 54
BELLARMINE PREP — Saphia Lazrak 1, Jalyee Laxamana 4, Kyla Frazier 10, Bella Pingrey 0, Alyssa Dawkins 5, Stella Wiggins 5, Jaela Jones 5, Sydney Hanna 0, Melina Petramalo 14. Totals 14 (4) 12-22 44
Mtn. View 7 15 17 15—54
Bellarmine 15 8 7 14—44