MARYSVILLE — The first one gave Snohomish an early-season spark. The second one helped solidify the Panthers’ second-place finish in the Wesco North.
This one, however, far exceeded the other two. This one sent Snohomish to state.
For the third time this season, the Panthers won a close battle with Oak Harbor, toppling the Wildcats 48-42 in a third-place 4A District 1 contest at Marysville-Pilchuck High School Friday night.
By one point, by five points and now by six points — Snohomish simply knows how to get it done down the stretch.
“The kids make plays late,” Panthers head coach Ken Roberts said. “(Oak Harbor) has a lot of heart. They play hard all the time. But our kids do too. They never give up. And that’s why it’s so close between us every time.”
This is Snohomish’s sixth trip to the state tournament since 2000. The loss finishes Oak Harbor’s season at 16-8.
Each team had arrived at the third-place game after a district loss to Jackson. Oak Harbor’s loss, though, had come in the first round of districts, meaning the Wildcats had won two straight elimination games to reach their chance at a state berth.
With five minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the fourth period, it looked as if Oak Harbor would get that berth. The Wildcats led 36-31 and had all of the momentum after a quick 6-0 run.
Snohomish took the tough route back. The Panthers got two free throws from Allison Burns and four from Katie Benson to eventually tie the score 37-37 with just 2:32 remaining.
The rest of the way, it seemed as if no one bothered to cover Snohomish junior Karley Lampman. The guard broke loose for a wide-open layup to give the Panthers a two-point lead, stole a pass for another easy layup and finally got behind the defense one more time for a wide-open layup that made it 46-39 with less than 30 seconds to play.
“My teammates were just tipping the ball and I was taking off and getting behind the defense,” Lampman said. “This is amazing. I can’t wait to go to ‘The Dome.’”
Lampman said the key to the turnaround was her team’s ability to handle a full-court Oak Harbor press that had given the Panthers fits all night.
“The main thing was just breaking that press. We needed to not panic, keep our dribble and be strong with the ball,” she said. “After that, we just had to play our butts off on defense.”
Lampman finished with 13 points. Burns led Snohomish with 14 points and four 3-pointers, including a monstrous one with 40 seconds remaining that made the score 44-39. Katie Benson also scored 13 points for the Wildcats.
Snohomish led 13-6 early in the second quarter, before a 7-0 Oak Harbor run tied score. It was a 16-15 Panthers lead at the break.
Benson scored six points during a 9-0 Snohomish run that gave it a 27-18 lead in the third, but Oak Harbor retaliated with its own 9-0 run to tie the score once again at 27-27. It was a 29-28 Wildcats lead going into the fourth.
Roberts said, after looking at the teams in the district, he was just happy his team made it through.
“I think it’s unfortunate for (Oak Harbor), because I think Jackson and Lake Stevens are two of the best out there. And we’re pretty good,” he said. “If (Oak Harbor) was to go down to the state tournament, I think they could win a game.”
At Marysville-Pilchuck H.S.
Oak Harbor691413—42
Snohomish11512200—28
Oak Harbor — Denmon 14, Smollack 13, Tubo 7, Thiel 4, Henrickson 2, Baeyen 2, Smith, Jansen. Snohomish — Burns 14, Benson 13, Lampman 13, Guthrie 4, Scott 2, Miller, Fairbanks, Desmarais. 3-point goals — Burns 4, Benson 1, Lampman 1, Guthrie 1, Tubo 1, Smollack 1. Records — Oak Harbor 16-8 overall. Snohomish 18-6.
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