Coming back after two weeks off, the Centralia College women’s basketball team squeezed about as much drama as it could into its return Thursday, beating Everett 71-69.
Tied at 69-69, the Blazers went to Lynwood-native McKenzie Ruse-Martin, who hit a layup with nine seconds left on the clock to put the guests ahead for good.
“Her entire family came out, and it was an awesome moment for her,” CC coach Tiffany Twiddy said.
Madison Gore led CC with 25 points, including hitting four of the Blazers’ five 3-pointers, and added eight rebounds and four assists to her line.
Maya Barnett pitched in a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, and also led CC with six assists. Foai Pula scored 13 points and added five rebounds, while Meletava Fonohea had eight points and nine boards.
Kate Carpenter only scored two points, but swatted back eight blocks to go along with five rebounds.
“As a team, we had multiple players excel in their role this game, which was encouraging to see,” Twiddy said.
The Blazers won’t really get to ride their momentum from the win, facing another nine-day break. They’ll return to the court Jan. 13, at South Puget Sound.
