Days after ending defending state champion Gig Harbor’s season, Edmonds-Woodway ousts Bethel in 3A opening round

High expectations? Sheesh, says Edmonds-Woodway High School guard Ingrid Fosberg.

“We play better as the underdog,” she said.

Four days after eliminating defending Class 3A girls state champion Gig Harbor in the regional round, the 15th-seeded Warriors shocked 3A West Central/Southwest bidistrict champion Bethel, 54-45, in the opening round of the state tournament Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome.

Edmonds-Woodway (15-9) moves on to face Prairie in the 3A quarterfinals at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Warriors broke out to a 16-point lead in the first half, then withstood a furious Bethel fourth-quarter rally.

Aryonna Porreca’s bank-shot 3-pointer got the Braves as close as they would get, 39-35, early in the fourth quarter.

But Fosberg answered by sinking a wide-open 3-pointer, which is something the Warriors — a preseason Wesco favorite that finished in sixth place — seemed to do every time they were challenged.

“We got on a run, and in the end, they would hit a 3,” Bethel forward Tiarra Brown said. “We had to get a stop, and couldn’t.”

Esmeralda Morales sparked the comeback, tallying 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half, including three 3-pointers.

Her final 3-pointer cut Edmonds-Woodway’s lead to 46-41 with 3:55 to go, but the Warriros scored on five of their next seven possessions to put the game away.

There was one aspect of the game that irked first-year Bethel coach Tim Brown afterward — the foul count. Bethel was whistled for 13 fouls in the second half, to the Warrirors’ one.

“I’ve never seen a game 13-1 — and I have been coaching for over 20-something years,” he said.

But, he also conceded the Braves’ slow start was a big factor in the loss.

“In the first quarter, we were playing all over the place,” Tim Brown said. “It is disappointing for our girls to come in here and lose like this. We wanted to take this home today, too. But, if you don’t do the tactical things to win these games, this is what happens.”

TEAM STATISTICS

EW – Shooting: 17 of 44 (38.6 percent). Free throws: 14 of 22 (63.6). Turnovers: 13.

B – Shooting: 19 of 57 (33.3 percent). Free throws: 2 of 4 (50). Turnovers: 17.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

EW – A.J. Martineau 4, Ingrid Fosberg 13, Maddie McMahon 2, Rebekah Dadalla 15, Adrienne Poling 15.

B – Sky Lett 5, Esmeralda Morales 21, Kyli Pasamanmte 2, Tiarra Brown 8, Aryonna Porreca 3, Samantha Hill 2, Patience Johnson 4.