Tahoma beats Kamiakin to take third at state, basketball program’s first placing ever

The look that passed between Hope Hassmann and Amelie Sitterud was all that they needed to see from one another.

The Tahoma seniors were on the Tacoma Dome floor as time ticked down in the Bears third-fifth place game against Kamiakin at the 4A state basketball tournament on Saturday afternoon. Things were tight after Maddy Rendall made the first of two free throws for the Braves with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left.

Tahoma was about to take the ball out, leading by a single point.

“My shots weren’t falling all game, but I just had a feeling,” Sitterud said. “Her and I have a look.”

“We just know each other so well,” Hassmann added.

Hassmann took the inbounds, advanced the ball into the lane and turned back to the trailing Sitterud. Hassmann gave her the ball just outside the arc at the top of the key and Sitterud delivered, making her second 3-pointer of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to four as Tahoma hung on for a 61-57 victory.

It was the Bears’ first appearance in Tacoma this week since 1999, and their regional victory a week ago qualified as the program’s first state win since 1996. Tahoma added a pair of victories this weekend in Tacoma, losing in between to Camas in the semifinals on Friday.

That loss put the Bears (24-4) into the final consolation girls game of the day at 1 p.m. against the Braves (23-6).

“It’s always good when you end with a win,” Tahoma coach Peter Smith said. “That’s what’s good about the state tournament. Six teams get trophies and two teams win titles. Obviously it’s not the one we wanted, but we have a lot of happy kids right now.”

SItterud finished with just those six points. Hassmann led all scorers with 21 points, including the two free throws with 8.6 seconds left that ensured the victory on Saturday after Kamiakin had erased a 17-point deficit.

Heading into the fourth, the Braves had sliced the lead to just two, 46-44, and Kamiakin took its first of just two leads all game when Emaunli Smith scored with 7:05 to play to make it 48-46.

The contest stayed within six points the rest of the way. Amelie Sitterud’s second 3-pointer of the fourth quarter with 2:34 to go extended the Tahoma lead back to four, 57-53.

“The timeout before that, I think I used some choice words,” Sitterud said. “I told them, we are not losing this game.”