The Pe Ell girls basketball team fell behind early and couldn’t claw back on Monday, as the Trojans fell in Taholah 52-43 in a 1B District 4 semifinal.
The Trojans (15-5, 8-3 1B CVL) kept pace with Taholah early, trailing by just four after the first, but the Chitwhins added onto their lead in the second and pulled away in the third. The Trojans were outscored 29-15 in those two quarters, and they entered the fourth down 18 points.
While they were able to get within single digits in the fourth, a barrage of missed free throws came back to haunt them. They shot just 7 for 20 from the line, just 35 percent.
“We just didn't show up offensively tonight,” Pe Ell coach Kelsey Lennox said. “We didn't execute when we needed to.”
Brookelynn King and Peyton Zock both recorded double-doubles. King scored a team-high 15 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, while Zock led the team on the boards with 17 rebounds and 10 points.
Karli Phelps just missed a double-double of her own, scoring 14 points and finishing with nine rebounds.
While disappointed with the result, Phelps said that the Trojans can use this moving forward into their elimination games.
“It is a good experience for this young team,” Phelps said. “We will learn from it and get better.”
Pe Ell will need to win two straight to earn District 4’s third bid, starting with a trip to Hoquiam on Thursday, when the Trojans will take on Mary M. Knight.
