MARYSVILLE – Eleven minutes.
Most would agree that’s not a lot of time. One could watch an episode of Spongebob Squarepants – without commercials – in that amount of time. Beyond that, the list of things that can be done in 11 minutes gets pretty small.
However, for Snohomish girls basketball, 11 minutes felt like an eternity. In their District 1 3A semifinal matchup against Shorecrest at Marysville Pilchuck High School on Tuesday, the top-seeded Panthers (16-7) did not score a point between the final minute of the second quarter and the first two minutes of the fourth; in the same span, the No. 4 seed Scots (12-10) scored 23, including an 18-0 margin in the third quarter.
A 16-16 halftime score turned into a 47-23 final, and Shorecrest cruised to the finals in an upset, clinching a state tournament berth for the first time since 2020.
“I’m just so excited,” Shorecrest star senior Cassie Chesnut said. “This team is so good. I knew from the beginning we were gonna get further than we have any other year, just with the personnel on our team. I think at the beginning, we (were) off, but throughout the season we learned how each other plays, and we know what to do, and we just knew everyone’s strengths and I think that really showed in this game.”
Chesnut made up one side of a highly anticipated individual matchup in the post against Snohomish senior Tyler Gildersleeve-Stiles. The two played on the same AAU team – FOH Stuckey – the last two years prior to this season, and often guarded each other in practice.
Now facing each other as competitors with a state tournament berth on the line, Chesnut won the day with 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks. Gildersleeve-Stiles (14 points, 4 rebounds) led the Panthers in scoring, but she and the rest of her teammates could not buy a basket in the second half, in part due to Chesnut leading the defense.
Final: Shorecrest wins 47-23
The No. 4 Scots pull off the upset over No. 1 Snohomish with the help of an 18-0 3rd Q run.
Cassie Chesnut (19 points, 13 rebounds, 8 blocks) wins the battle vs. former AAU teammate Tyler Gildersleeve-Stiles (14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks)
— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) February 19, 2025
“Even giving up 16 in the first half, I was cool with,” Shorecrest coach Malcolm Rosier Butler said. “That’s great defense against a team like that, and that had to be a constant for us. Continue to play great defense, and make some adjustments offensively and just try to score the basketball more.”
The Panthers’ point drought lasted 11 minutes, including the entire third quarter, but they went even longer without a made field goal. After Gildersleeve-Stiles finally scored two minutes into the fourth, it had been 12:24 of game time since freshman Layla King scored a layup to tie it 14-14.
Snohomish did not make a 3-pointer the entire game. Meanwhile, the Scots converted six, half coming from sophomore Anna Usitalo (10 points).
“I think (shots not falling) was the issue,” Snohomish coach Ken Roberts said. “We tried to go at Chesnut inside, just trying to get it inside to (Gildersleeve-Stiles) and hopefully draw some fouls on her and get her out of the game because she’s a factor on both ends. We didn’t get that done, and then when we did kick out, we didn’t make anything.”
Through the first half, the game had the makings of an instant classic, with each side responding to the other, each offense almost exclusively running through its star forward. In a flash, it became a major missed opportunity for the Panthers.
Snohomish still has a chance to make the state tournament, but they will have to face No. 2 seed Meadowdale, which was upset by No. 7 seed Monroe in the quarterfinals, in the consolation round. It’s a potential district championship matchup turned into a win-or-go-home on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Scots can rest easy knowing they will move on to state regardless of the result of Saturday’s championship against No. 3 Stanwood. But just because they can, does not mean they will.
“Making it, getting one of those four (state tournament) spots was a goal of ours,” said Rosier Butler, who is in his third season leading his alma mater and will be coaching in the state tournament for the first time. “But again, I know this team and they’re still hungry, and they definitely have a desire for more. So we’re gonna try to get every single ounce that we can get out of this season.”
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