Stanwood girls basketball survives Bishop Blanchet

Published 11:55 pm Saturday, February 28, 2026

MOUNT VERNON — Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. That phrase describes exactly what Ellalee Wortham provided for Stanwood girls basketball in the 3A State second round against Bishop Blanchet at Mount Vernon High School on Saturday.

After scoring 10 of her team’s 11 points in the first quarter, the senior pulled down crucial rebounds and delivered clutch baskets down the stretch to lift the No. 9 seed Spartans (20-5) past the No. 17 seed Bears (14-15) with a 60-56 victory to earn a trip to the Tacoma Dome in the Round of 12 against No. 8 seed Edmonds-Woodway on Wednesday.

Wortham finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, not only elevating her team with her play, but with her leadership as well.

“The resolve that (Wortham) played with tonight just carried us through some really big moments,” said Stanwood coach Dustin Swanson, who was fired up coming off the court after the close win that extended their season. “Everyone could see the scoring, but the determination — especially on the defensive end — the rebounds, and just the things she was saying to her teammates in the huddle just was amazing leadership, that if we don’t have that, we don’t (reach) this point in the season, and we don’t win games like that.”

In addition to Wortham, sophomore Dorothy Berrett had 13 points and eight rebounds, and senior Stella Berrett had nine points and six rebounds. For Bishop Blanchet, junior Stella Na scored 25 points.

“I think just not forcing any passes inside,” Dorothy Berrett said, labeling the key to the offensive production. “And if the look wasn’t there, to pass it back out for a better shot.”

The Bears pulled ahead by six points in the second quarter before the Spartans managed to tie it up entering halftime, with sophomore Georgia Lenz scoring on a driving layup with about 50 seconds left to tie it 28-28.

Stanwood came out strong in the third quarter, building the lead up to 43-33 with both Berretts making cuts and finding space around the rim to score, but Bishop Blanchet closed the frame on a 12-2 run to tie it 45-45 entering the final frame.

Swanson praised his team for not dwelling on mistakes and simply focusing on the task at hand. With the game up for grabs in the fourth, the Spartans seized it.

Senior Presley Harris put Stanwood in the lead for good after rattling in a 3-pointer with about six minutes left to make it 52-49. Harris stepped up defensively on the next possession by picking up a loose ball and finding Dorothy Berrett down the court, where she knocked down two free throws after drawing a foul.

From there, Wortham extended the lead to 56-50 by pulling down a rebound and going coast-to-coast for a layup with four minutes left, and she effectively sealed the game by getting open for Stella Berrett to find her for a backdoor layup to push it to 58-53 with under a minute to go.

“I know the feeling of our season ending early when you don’t want it to end,” Wortham said. “I know I don’t want it to end yet, and I just knew that I had to go out and do whatever I needed to do to get our team to win the game.”

2A Boys: Lakewood falls in overtime to West Valley (Spokane)

When put on the spot in crunch time, Drew Egger delivered. But so did Jordan Johnson.

With 4.6 seconds left in the 2A State opening round at Mount Vernon High School on Saturday, Egger knocked down two free throws to give Lakewood boys basketball a 55-53 lead over West Valley (Spokane). If Lakewood could hold off a full-court inbound play, it would be off to the Round of 12.

However, West Valley senior Noah Willard took the ball from the base line and found sophomore Hewson Spencer open on the right side. Spencer made it to half court and zipped a quarterback-style throw across the width of the court to Johnson on the left elbow extended.

Johnson took the ball down to the baseline with his left, and the sophomore cut in at the last moment to release a floater from an angle behind the hoop as time expired. The net barely moved as the ball made its way in, tying the game 55-55 to force overtime.

Cruising off the high of their tying play, the No. 13 seed Eagles (16-7) went on a 9-0 run as the shots stopped falling for the No. 12 seed Cougars (17-8-1), and Lakewood’s season ended with a 69-63 loss.

The Cougars turned the ball over twice and missed four field goal attempts across six consecutive possessions in overtime, and West Valley capitalized on nearly all of them to pull ahead.

“(The Eagles) executed really well in overtime, I thought,” Cougars coach Anthony Wiederkehr said. “We had a few bad turnovers. They got out in transition, and I think we got a little tired.”

Lakewood had to fight back from a 15-8 deficit after the first quarter, and went on a 7-0 run to close the second, tying the game 23-23 at halftime. Senior Caleb Greenland (24 points) and junior Derek Willson (16 points) delivered big plays on both ends of the floor, but West Valley ultimately made a few more late in the game.

Even before willing themselves back into Saturday’s game, the Cougars had to scratch and claw just to make the tournament, winning two District 1 2A loser-out consolation games to qualify for the District 1/5 Crossover loser-out game, where Lakewood defeated Prosser 57-47 to earn a state berth.

While the Cougars will lose Greenland, their top producer, to graduation next season, they will return 10 players from the varsity roster, including five sophomores. Wiederkehr praised his young team’s growth this season, and believes the experience gained from these district and state playoff games will be extremely valuable.

“I think making it this far already for this group is a big thing because now they know what to expect next year,” Wiederkehr said. “They’ve got a taste of it, and hopefully it makes them hungrier for getting to the (Yakima Valley) SunDome next year.”

4A Girls: Lake Stevens blows out Bonney Lake

Lake Stevens girls basketball cruised to a 61-33 win against Bonney Lake in the 4A State opening round at Mount Vernon High School on Saturday. The No. 10 seed Vikings (21-3) avenged their 46-44 loss to the No. 15 seed Panthers (15-12) on Dec. 13, capturing their 15th win in 16 games.

Senior Keira Isabelle Tupua led the charge with 30 points, and fellow senior Tessa Anastasi chipped in 10 points in the blowout victory. Lake Stevens allowed its lowest point total since its 63-14 win against Cascade on Jan. 30.

The Vikings advance to the Round of 12 in the Tacoma Dome against No. 7 seed Bothell on Wednesday.