Comets streak ends, Mules keep kicking

The Washington 1B State Basketball Championships are underway. While the Naselle girls basketball team has been eliminated following a tight loss in the first round, the Wahkiakum boys basketball team is pressing on, despite taking a loss to the #1 seed.

Wahkiakum prepares for familiar foe

Thanks to their District 4 champion status, the Mules got a bye into the second round of the state playoffs. As a result, they played #1-seeded Lummi Nation at Lynden High School on Saturday, Feb. 28. It wasn't a win-or-go-home game. The winner advanced to the state quarterfinals, while the loser would need to play another game in the Round of 12. With elimination not on the line, Wahkiakum got a chance to give the #1 seed their best shot, and they competed hard.

Wahkiakum had a hard time keeping up with the Blackhawks, who led for the entire game and ended up beating the Mules 78-49. Despite the large margin on the scoreboard, there were some bright moments for the Mules, including the second quarter, where they hung with the Blackhawks in points, being outscored by one (18-17) in the frame. Parker Leitz led Wahkiakum with 10 points, and eight other Mules registered points as well during the game.

While his team didn't get the win - and the score was lopsided - Wahkiakum Head Coach Rob Garrett came away from the game feeling optimistic. "Honestly, even though the score may not have said it, what I took away from the Lummi game is we can play with anyone," Garrett said. "We are focusing on our team defense heading into the Columbia Adventist game. If we take away their strengths, good things will happen for us!"

The loss against Lummi has Wahkiakum headed into a matchup with Columbia Adventist in Spokane on Wednesday, March 4, with a berth in the state quarterfinals on the line.

It's an opponent whom the Mules have seen three times already this season, going 2-1 in those contests. After winning by five points in their first matchup on Jan. 6, the Mules lost to the Kodiaks by two points (64-62) on Feb. 2. Going into the postseason, Wahkiakum got the last laugh against the Kodiaks, beating them 50-43 in their most recent matchup on Feb. 7.

If Wahkiakum can play the way they want, Garrett thinks they can get the better of Columbia Adventist for the third time this season. Now in the latter stages of the season, Wahkiakum has the opportunity to play at the Numerica Veterans Arena in Spokane. The winner will play #2-seed Almira Coulee Hartline.

"We are excited to be going to Spokane and get the opportunity to play on that court," said Garrett. "[There's] no better arena in high-school sports in my opinion."

Naselle knocked out

The Comets battled until the very end in their second-round matchup against Pomeroy. The game ended in overtime, with Pomeroy coming out on top by the thinnest of margins, 56-53.

"Games like this one are always tough, because your mind will constantly play the 'what if' game," said Head Coach Marie Green. "There are a ton of 'what-if' moments in this game, but the biggest thing that I can come up with and hold true to is that my girls played a heck of a game. They never gave up, even being down 10 at one point. My girls showed their heart in this game."

It was a battle throughout the game, with Naselle earning a three-point lead (13-10) at the end of the first quarter. Pomeroy turned up the heat in the second quarter, outscoring the Comets 18-12 and taking a three-point lead (28-25) into halftime.

One of the highlights during the game was junior Brooklyn Avalon joining Naselle's 1,000-point club. Avalon registered 18 points in the game to go with six rebounds, three assists, and four steals. When Avalon reached the 1000 point mark, Green said she and the coaching staff did what they could to make the accomplishment as special as possible despite not playing on home court.

"That was something special for her," said Green. "We couldn't celebrate it the way we were able to with Aubrey earlier in the season, but we made sure to have '1,000' signs handed out to our fans, so we tried to make it special for her."

Also standing out on the stat sheet were seniors Brooke Davis and Mylee Dunagan. Davis finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Dunagan was doing a little bit of everything, scoring seven points, grabbing five boards, dishing two dimes, and registering one steal.

Mallory Helvey, Heylee Rose, Avrey Ford, and Aubrey Katyruniuk also chipped in points for the Comets, as well as doing plenty of the dirty work on the glass and on the defensive end.

"Everyone who played contributed in their own way," said Green. "Would the win have been nice? Yes, 100 percent, but I am so proud of the girls. I wish our season didn't come to an end, but what an end it was."

Though Naselle clawed its way back into the game by erasing a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, they couldn't quite get over the hump, ultimately losing by just three points.

The end of the season is always hard. This was one that was significant for Green, as it is the first time she has had a group of seniors graduate whom she's coached since they were freshmen.

"This team is a special team," said Green. "I know that coaches will always have special teams and, each year, with seniors moving on and freshmen coming in, this group really set the tone for where we want our program to be and to go. I will miss what this group brought to the court every day, but [will] use what they left and continue to build on it."

While it is sad to see the seniors go, the legacy they left behind is one that will resonate for years to come.