Cornwell boosts Snohomish girls

By Chris Trujillo

Herald Writer

TACOMA – Emmy Cornwell’s clutch 3-point basket with 1:52 remaining in the game helped seal a 52-45 Snohomish victory over Port Angeles in Friday’s loser-out game at the Class 4A girls basketball state tournament played at the Tacoma Dome.

After squandering a 14-point, third-quarter lead, Snohomish, thanks to a gritty performance from its multi-purpose 5-foot-9 senior guard, bounced back to collect its second consecutive victory.

Cornwell’s long-range basket allowed the Panthers to pull away for good with a 47-40 lead. Cornwell finished with 11 points, including a steady 3-for-4 performance from the free-throw line in the final seconds of the game.

Hali Thompson, who preserved Snohomish’s victory on Thursday from nearly the same spot as Cornwell’s 3-point basket, led all scorers with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

“We have so many players who can make big plays,” Snohomish coach Ken Roberts said. “Emmy was there for us when we needed her.”

Snohomish, after going home empty-handed in 2001, will play Roosevelt at 11 a.m. today for fifth place. The loser will walk away with the eighth-place trophy.

“This is really exciting,” said Cornwell, who leaves Sunday for a recruiting trip that’ll take her to two small, private colleges in California. “We just want fifth place. Four of us already know what it feels like here at state, but we want our younger players to experience what it feels like to take fifth place. We’ve been working all year for a good finish.”

Before going on a 7-3 run to secure the game, the Panthers had to fend off a resurgent Port Angeles team, which had outscored Snohomish 19-7 to trail 31-30 after three quarters. Mandy Wood scored four consecutive points off two Snohomish turnovers during an 8-0 Port Angeles run in the final 2 minutes of the third quarter.

“We lost our focus,” said Elyse Barstow, who finished with 11 points. “We knew we just had to be patient. It was very important for us just to refocus.”

The Roughriders, following back-to-back baskets by Hali Thompson and Cornwell, got to within three points on the first of Ashley Payne’s two 3-point baskets in the fourth quarter. However, a pair of free throws by Thompson and Beth Krause, along with Cornwell’s timely basket proved more than Port Angeles could bear.

“Our defense played fantastic,” Roberts said. “And what can I say about Emmy. I call her our mechanic because when something’s wrong she can come in and fix it.”

Cornwell, who can play all five positions, stepped in for Anne Bailey at forward after she picked up her fourth foul late in the third quarter. Bailey finished with six points.

Senior Elyse Barstow connected on three 3-point baskets and shot 4-for-5 from the field to lead Snohomish to a 23-11 first-half lead. Barstow led all scorers at halftime with 11 points and Thompson added six points to go with seven rebounds.

“Elyse has been awesome the whole tournament,” Roberts said. “She doesn’t always have the numbers, but she does so much for us.”

Snohomish shot 42 percent from the field and held Port Angeles to a dismal 5-for-29 shooting performance (17 percent) in the first half. Payne led Port Angeles with four points.

The Panthers converted three of their first four shots to take an early 6-2 lead. Bailey connected from 12 feet out and then returned with two points down low as Snohomish increased its lead to 11-2 with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter. Defensively, the Panthers held Port Angeles to just 2-for-14 from the field, which included an 0-for-5 shooting drought to end the quarter.

“We weren’t all together when we stepped out on the floor,” Port Angeles coach Mike Knowles said. “I wish we could play that first quarter all over again.”