Howard leads Central Valley girls back to the 4A title game
For the second time in three years and the third time in the last five years, the Central Valley girls basketball team will play for the 4A state championship.
The No. 3 Bears defeated No. 7 Union 61-53 in the 4A semifinals on Friday, earning a spot in Saturday’s title game where they will play top-ranked Woodinville at 5 p.m.
Central Valley senior Peyton Howard scored 18 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point range, to help lead the Bears to the win. It will be Howard’s second appearance in the state title game, but her first as a consistent contributor to the team.
“It’s not my first time, but it’s the first time that I actually have a big role on the team,” Howard said. “It’s awesome. We were overlooked all season, so it’s cool to show and say, ‘Look what we can do.’”
Howard missed all of her junior season with a torn ACL, but has been motivated to take her team back to the championship game as a senior.
“At big times, you want your kids to come out in big ways,” Central Valley head coach Felice Orrell said. “I think she just have that perspective with sitting out last year with her knee and how much basketball means to her. Our district games, she kind of became that poised leader that we need, and tonight that same kind of behavior and attitude came out in her.”
The Titans trailed by 10 early in the third quarter, but used a 10-0 to tie the score at 31 and forcing the Bears to call timeout. Central Valley quickly answered with an 18-6 run to regain control of the game.
“Our team never gets down on itself,” Howard said. “We always know how to push out of a little bit of a lull. It’s really good of us. We have this grit. We practice against our men coaches all the time, so we know physical. We know everything. I’m really proud of us for getting into that little bit of a lull and we just pulled through.
Union would once again cut into the deficit in the fourth quarter getting to within six, but the Titans ran out of time to mount another comeback.
The Titans (21-6) will face No. 6 Glacier Peak at 8 a.m. on Saturday in the fourth/sixth-place game.
If the Bears (22-3) are to win their second title in three years, they will have to hand top-ranked Woodinville (28-0) their lone loss of the season. But Howard and her teammates are excited for the challenge.
“I’m really excited,” Howard said. “I wanted to play them in the championship just because they’ve been No. 1 all season, and we’ve been pretty low. I think we can take them down and that will show that we are actually the top seed if we take out the top seed. I’m really excited, and it’s going to be a good matchup for sure.”
At Tacoma Dome
Central Valley - 13 16 20 12 - 61
Union - 13 8 16 16 - 53
Central Valley – Michael Pitts 10, MJ Bruno 4, Peyton Howard 18, Grace Geldien 12, Chloe Williams 9, Camryn Rudd 0, Abby Lewis 8. Union – Mason Oberg 26, Lolo Weatherspoon 8, Abbey Kaip 6, Mackenzie Lewis 8, Sarah Litchford 3, Alexis Raymore 0, Olivia Euverman 0, Sydney Cowling 2, Kaneyl Carpenter 0, Ariel Ammentorp 0.
CLASS 4A GIRLS
CONSOLATION
No. 2 Todd Beamer 51, No. 4 Chiawana 41
Senior guard Aaliyah Alexander scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Titans (25-4) to the win over the Riverhawks.
Junior Talia Von Oelhoffen scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Chiawana (23-5), which saw its season come to an end.
The Titans will play No. 12 Issaquah at 8 a.m. on Saturday in the fourth/sixth-place game.
No. 12 Issaquah 68, No. 9 Moses Lake 57
Junior Alivia Stephens scored 21 points and senior Lauren Frueh added 20 to lead the Eagles (21-10) to the win over the Chiefs.
Senior Madisyn Clark scored 17 points to lead Moses Lake (20-5), which saw its season come to an end.
The Eagles will play No. 2 Todd Beamer at 8 a.m. on Saturday in the fourth/sixth-place game.