In a must-win situation, Hoquiam’s girls delivered at the end.
Taking command with a run of eight successive points early in the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies went on to a 44-34 win over Tenino in an Evergreen 1A League girls basketball game Friday night at Hoquiam Square Garden.
The win lifted Hoquiam (1-4, 5-10) into a tie with Tenino for the league’s fourth and final district berth. Since this was the second meeting between the Beavers (who had won the first contest at home) and Grizzlies, a defeat would have all but eliminated Hoquiam from playoff contention.
Senior floor leader Izzy Hernandez produced one of her finest performances of the season, leading the Grizzlies with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Limited to two quarters of varsity eligibility due to earlier logging two quarters in the junior varsity contest, freshman Maddie German provided a spark with eight points and five boards.
Tenino sophomore Kaylee Schow led all scorers with 19 points. Coached by former Elma High School and Washington State University standout Brandi Thomas, the Beavers do not have a senior on the varsity.
Missing their first seven shots and allowing the smaller Beavers to surprisingly control the offensive glass, the Grizzlies found themselves in a 10-2 hole with the game barely five minutes old.
They reeled off the final eight points of the first half to own a 21-17 halftime lead, but trailed by a point (29-28) when Schow hit a 3-point shot in the opening 31 seconds of the fourth quarter. To compound the predicament, Hernandez and sophomore post Rylee Vonhof were teetering on the brink with four fouls apiece.
German, however, converted an offensive rebound putback and fed Jade Cox for a layin to give Hoquiam a permanent lead at 32-29 with about six minutes remaining. After Hernandez and Cox each made one of two free throws, Hernandez connected on a jumper to make it 36-29 with 3:59 remaining.
Going scoreless from the field for nearly six minutes in the final stanza, the Beavers never drew closer than six the rest of the way. German’s basket and a pair of Hernandez free throws in the final minute applied the finishing touches.
Hoquiam coach Mark Maxfield said his team’s switch from a zone press to a man-to-man defense in the first half helped stem Tenino’s early momentum.
“Our forte is man,” Maxfield said. “We generate offense from our defense. I think that turned it around.”
Tenino shot only 23 percent from the field and a dismal 6-of-19 from the foul line.
“Hoquiam hit their shots when they needed to,” Thomas observed. “I’m super-proud of our girls. They worked their butts off.”
After its slow start, Hoquiam took over the boards. Casey Mode had nine rebounds and Vonhof and Karlie Krohn seven apiece.
The Grizzlies, who are expected to return to full strength next week when a couple of suspended players will be reinstated, visit Elma on Tuesday.
Tenino 12 5 9 8 — 34 Hoquiam 9 12 7 16 — 44
Tenino (34) — Antill, Letts 4, Mathis 4, Schow 19, Homann 5, Bailon 2, Duncan, Wachter. FG — 13-57 (.228). FT — 6-19.
Hoquiam (44) — Mode 5, Hernandez 18, Krohn 4, Vonhof 2, Jump 2, Jade Cox 5, Jordan Cox, German 8. FG — 16-55 (.291). FT — 12-25.
