“Throw the seeds out the window:” Monroe girls roll to state

MARYSVILLE — The Monroe girls basketball team advanced to the state 3A tournament Saturday afternoon with a come-from-behind District 1 3A victory over No. 5-seeded Shorewood.

The Stormrays, who were eliminated in the loss, led by as much as nine in the second half, but timely 3-pointers and strong rebounding helped push the Bearcats across the finish line.

Usual Monroe leaders like junior Mya Mercille (15 points, six rebounds) and Cascadia Yates (11 points, four rebounds) had their moments, but no one on the floor shined in the clutch like senior Brooklyn Krache.

Monroe head coach Tyson Horner believes he relied on his starters too heavily in Tuesday’s district semifinal loss to Stanwood, rarely utilizing reserves. Krache, who usually comes off the bench, didn’t score in the first three frames but saw consistent playing time.

With her team trailing by six with just over six minutes to play, Krache started shooting like someone who had already hit five 3s.

She splashed home a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one, then hit one to take the lead later in the quarter. She added the finishing touches to her show-stopping performance with a quick-trigger triple from the left wing to extend Monroe’s margin to four with one minute to play.

That barrage came amid a cold streak for Shorewood, which would be eliminated as a result. Krache was visibly emotional after the state-clinching win.

“All to God man, I prayed before the game and I prayed for this,” Krache said. “As a senior, it’s the best feeling ever, just being able to (clinch state) two years in a row… with the people I’ve been playing with for years.”

Horner had seen his team overcome adversity to shock No. 2 Meadowdale last week and again on Saturday afternoon.

His sentiment?

All bets are off when February and March roll around.

“We played Shorewood a lot over the summer and this year and it’s always a close game,” Horner said. “Once the playoffs start, it always feels like a new season begins and I think the girls really take that mindset… you can throw the seeds out the window.”

On the receiving side of the comeback win was a bitter pill for Shorewood to swallow — their state drought now stands at 25 years. But there was little doubt in how much the Stormrays wanted to win, as senior star Bridget Cox had 16 points and seven rebounds while senior Vanessa Spadafora hit four 3s to score 12. Senior Rylie Gettmann powered Shorewood’s powerful third-quarter push with six timely points as well.

In the end, a 28-21 rebounding deficit paired with Krache’s late-game heroics were too much to withstand as Horner’s Bearcats continue to add to their reputation as a team of destiny in this postseason.

“It’s just kind of focusing on us (going forward) and what we’re trying to do, and not necessarily who we’re playing,” Horner said. “We’re thankful to just be healthy and be able to keep this thing going.”

Monroe will look to build on last year’s first-round exit at state, as opening-round action begins on Tuesday.