Mossyrock freshman Payton Torrey (5) scored a game-high 14 points to help Mossyrock to a 40-35 win over Willapa Valley at districts Wednesday.
Mossyrock's Hailey Brooks goes up for a shot against Willapa Valley during the opening round of districts on Wednesday.
Willapa Valley's Merissa Frasier attacks the rim against Mossyrock on Wednesday.
Mossyrock's Faith Mulligan pulls up for a jumper against Willapa Valley on Wednesday.
Willapa Valley's Katie Adkins scored a team-high 13 points for the Vikings against Mossyrock Wednesday.
Rainier's Sophie Beadle tries to split Napavine defenders during a district opener on Wednesday.
Rainier's Hazel Busic goes up for a breakaway layup against Napavine at districts Wednesday.
Rainier's Kaeley Shultz (12) rises for a pass in the paint against Napavine defenders during districts on Wednesday.
Mossyrock's bench cheers after the Vikings score against Willapa Valley Wednesday.
By Eric Trent
etrent@chronline.com
CHEHALIS — Mossyrock saw its 13-point lead plummet to one with less than a minute to go until Payton Torrey sank a 3-pointer to give Mossyrock the cushion it needed in a 40-35 2B District playoff win over Willapa Valley on Wednesday.
“[Torrey] stepped up and hit a clutch three at the end,” Mossyrock coach Autumn Moorcroft said. “That gave us the confidence to maintain that lead.”
Torrey, a freshman second-team all-Central 2B League selection, scored a game-high 14 points and 10 rebounds for fifth-seeded Mossyrock (18-4), sending the team to the district quarterfinals for a matchup against top-seeded Toledo (18-2) on Saturday at a date and time to be determined.
Mossyrock started the year with blowout victories then ended the regular season with tense matchups. Moorcroft said those more-recent close matchups helped them stave off Valley’s run at the end.
“We’ve had some tight games, and they didn’t go our favor in league, so our experience there helped us maintain our composure and come out with the win,” Moorcroft said.
Pacific 2B League’s No. 4 Willapa Valley (13-8) heads to the consolation bracket and takes on the loser of Chief Leschi-Wahkiakum in a loser-out match on Monday at a time and location to be determined.
On Wednesday, Mossyrock kept Valley at bay for two and a half quarters, building a sizable 13-point lead at one point in the third quarter before Valley engineered a comeback bid.
Willapa’s Katie Adkins, Cami Swartz and Lanissa Amacher helped Valley break off a 24-point second-half output on offense to cut the lead to one with 40 seconds remaining.
But Torrey’s clutch 3-pointer with just over 30 seconds to go brought Mossyrock’s lead back to four and gave it the cushion it needed.
“Trying to slow down and make decisions on offense, rather than trying to rush our shots, find what’s open, look into the post and kick out,” Moorcroft said.
Adkins finished with a team-high 13 points for Valley, Swartz added 12 and Amacher six as Willapa shot 31 percent from the field on 12 of 39 shooting.
Mossyrock received eight points and nine rebounds from Andee Nelson, six points, seven rebounds and five steals from Faith Mulligan and six points from Madison Vigre.
Mossyrock now heads to face league foe Toledo, the C2BL champion and a team it lost to, 43-31, on Feb. 3 in the two team’s only meeting this year.
“We’re excited to get another shot at them,” Moorcroft said. “We’re going to come out with a lot of energy. Hopefully we’ll be ready for them this time around.”
Chehalis — Kaeley Shultz dropped a game-high 23 points, 11 rebounds and 4 steals and Rainier pummeled Napavine 54-14 in the Mountaineers’ 2B District 4 playoff opener Wednesday.
The Mountaineers shot a blazing 57 percent from the field on 20 of 36 shooting to easily down the Tigers, holding Napavine to just 8 percent shooting on 4 of 50 from the floor. Faith Boesch added 15 points for Rainier.
“[We] struggled tonight from the field,” Napavine coach Shane Shutz said. “Rainier was well prepared. They shot extremely well. Shultz and Boesch hit big shots.”
Third-seeded Rainier (17-4) moves on to the quarterfinals to face Pacific 2B League’s second-seeded Raymond (18-2). The Seagulls have a sophomore star of their own, Kyra Gardner, to counter Rainier’s sophomore standout Shultz.
Napavine (8-13) heads to the consolation bracket to take on the loser of Adna and Ilwaco on Monday at a time and location to be determined.
“We have to bounce back and get ready to play Monday,” Shutz said.
CASTLE ROCK — The Pirates used 18-rebound advantage and a balanced scoring effort to extinguish Onalaska 52-31 in their 2B District 4 playoff opener on Wednesday.
Adna (18-3) moves on to the quarterfinals to face Pacific 2B League’s top-seeded Ilwaco (19-1) on Saturday at a time and location to be determined. The Fishermen are led by Pacific 2B MVP Erika Glenn, who averages 21.8 points per game.
“They have a superstar,” Adna coach Chris Bannish said. “It’s like playing Kal Schaplow or Kaeley Shultz.”
Onalaska (12-10) moves to the consolation bracket and will face the loser of Rainier and Raymond in a loser-out match.
Adna started off hot against Onalaska Wednesday, jumping out to a 14-3 run in the first quarter due to a couple early 3-pointers from Kaylin Todd to get the offense moving. Adna grew stagnant early second quarter with a few missed layups which stalled the Pirates’ pressure packages on defense. Then Ellie Sliva, Payton Aselton and Summer White drained back-to-back-to-back 3s to give the Pirates the momentum for good.
Adna won the rebound margin 39-21, spearheaded by freshman forward Karlee VonMoos’ game-high 13 boards. Adna was led offensively by Faith Wellander’s game-high 12 points, Sliva’s 11 and Todd’s nine. Wallander also added seven rebounds to her stat column.
Onalaska was led by Callie Lawrence’s team-high 10 points, Carmen Cleveland-Barrera’s seven and Morgan Hamilton’s six.
Bannish said it’s nice to start off district with a win, but him and his team are focused on preparing for a fiery Ilwaco team on Saturday.
“The first-game jitters are out,” Bannish said.
