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SPOKANE — Eclipsed time from the final buzzer to when Kelsey Lennox left the locker room inside Spokane Arena was north of 20 minutes.
She made sure to soak in the final moments with her Pe Ell High School girls basketball team. Even with four seniors graduating, this chapter came to a close.
“Pretty emotional,” Lennox said. “Just talking about life lessons of basketball and what to take from games like this and how you can apply it in life.”
The ending was all too similar.
No. 7 Pateros clipped at 45 percent from the field in the opening half, made enough baskets down the stretch and fended off a late rally to beat No. 10 Pe Ell 59-45 in a Class 1B Round of 12 contest on Wednesday night.
For the second straight state tournament, the Trojans (17-8) bow out in the elimination round.
“I do think it shows perseverance and grit,” Lennox said. “Sadly, it was too late. We have to be more consistent.”
At one point, they were down 42-11 early in the third quarter. They proceeded to not wilt, rather make whatever was left of the 2025-26 season into some sense of positivity. They closed the third on an 11-4 run.
Then in the fourth, Pe Ell and Pateros traded baskets for several possessions. The ball movement progressed from the perimeter to Peyton Zock in the post. Or in transition, Karli Phelps dump passes to Ava King.
Pe Ell ended the game with the final six points to make the final margin as close since 22-8 in the first half.
“You got to attack,” Lennox said. “That was on the defensive end as well.”
Last March, at least in the opening quarter, the Trojans nursed a four-point lead. It was over the course of the final three frames where the offense was at a standstill. That wasn’t the case on Wednesday night.
They didn’t make a field goal until 65 seconds left in the first. The first basket from a player outside of Phelps didn’t happen until the second. All-CVL first teamers Peyton Zock and Maisy King were held in check for the first half.
Pateros’ length – five girls all at least 5-foot-8 – made life difficult for Pe Ell’s guards. The Trojans ended with 17 turnovers.
“I don’t know if it was nerves or if it was fear of the end,” Lennox said. “We did look a little like deer in the headlights. Shying away from the ball instead of being confident with the ball. Not executing our press break hurt us.”
Phelps ended the night with a team-best 19 points on 6-of-29 from the field. Ava King added nine and Zock finished with eight points. Maisy King grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds despite a 1-for-8 evening.
Zock also finished with nine boards and Phelps registered seven steals.
Ava King, Bailey Cox, Madi Engel and Zock played their final game of their prep careers. The senior class was responsible for getting the Trojans to back-to-back Spokane trips and a regional round appearance as sophomores.
“They have been dedicated to the program,” Lennox said. “I don’t think a lot of people thought we'd be back this year. They believe it and they believe in each other; such strong leaders.”
Phelps and Maisy King are the expected anchors for the 2026-27 season for Pe Ell. Players like Ruby Magruder and Kassidy Hayes could be next in line for substantial playing time. It also rostered a pair of eighth graders in Peyton Phelps and Tristyn Zock.
“They know what to expect,” Lennox said. “Put the time in the weight room to get better.”
When asked which way to get to state ended up better: Having a perfect record and the No. 7 seed last year or battling through the season and being the No. 10, Lennox didn’t hesitate.
Which is why she’s hopeful for not only future trips to state, but that elusive Round of 12 win.
“This year, I felt, was more rewarding,” Lennox said. “I saw so much more growth. They were put in situations that forced them to have grit. And I'm happy with that.”
