White River denies Enumclaw’s comeback bid, claims 2A SPSL girls basketball title

The buzzer signaled halftime in the 2A SPSL girls basketball title game, and White River led by 23.

The lead seemed insurmountable. White River had more than doubled nearby-rival Enumclaw’s score in what then was 41-18 contest, and a league trophy appeared to be just 16 minutes away.

The second half was an entirely different story.

Throughout the third quarter, White River saw their lead shrink from 23 to 19. And then 17. And then 13.

White River’s first field goal of the second half dropped more than four minutes into the third quarter. With four minutes remaining in the game, Enumclaw was within five.

In stepped Kara Marecle. The White River senior — fresh off a 20-point first half — wouldn’t allow Enumclaw to climb any closer. In the closing minutes, she drained two clutch mid-range jumpers, and put Enumclaw away — for good.

It was far from the blowout the first half set it up to be, but White River proved too resilient, and claimed the 2A SPSL title in a 64-55 win over Enumclaw.

“That game wasn’t over at halftime,” White River coach Chris Gibson said. “We got tired, we got in a bit of foul trouble, and I’m really pleased with the fact that we were able to hang on to that. We made a couple of big shots, but Enumclaw is a great ball club.”

It was a tale of two halves in a battle between the pair of Hornet squads. Not only did Marecle drain 20 in the first half — along with four threes — White River’s defense played with energy and found success in the full-court press.

Meanwhile, turnovers plagued Enumclaw throughout the opening half. They looked uncomfortable on offense, struggling to inbound and, at times, throwing errant passes before crossing half court.

They failed to get open looks, if they got a look at all.

“These kids have worked hard, it’s been a strange season… but these kids have handled it well,” Gibson said of his White River team. “Playing with masks on, and they never complained about it. They just did it.”

White River’s three-and-D formula paid off, and their lead grew to 23 by halftime.

Marecle, along with teammate Taylor Schmidtke, led the perimeter shooting attack, ballooning White River’s lead in the opening quarters.

“They were just going in, so I kept shooting,” said Marecle, who finished the night with 31 points. “Taylor was also on fire, so we just tried to keep it rolling with that.”

They rolled until the third quarter. Enumclaw had quickly put the fire out. Momentum was on their side.

And Enumclaw looked as if they were an entirely new team after the break. Their defense made important stops, their shots began to fall, and White River had no answer for it.

White River’s lead had shrunk to just five, and it was anyone’s game. But in the end, it was Marecle who made two clutch shots to put Enumclaw away in the final minutes of her high school career.

“(It feels) amazing. That’s just what we wanted for the season, to get the league championship,” Marecle said. “It’s the best feeling ever.”

The last task of the evening for White River? Cutting down the nets.

“I’m so happy for our four seniors, and happy for our kids, and it’s just been a great season,” Gibson said. “We’ve got great attitudes, they work hard, and it’s a great family.”

This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 10:32 PM.