PUYALLUP — Entering the 2B Tri-district championship Saturday night Tacoma Baptist had reeled off 16 straight victories, but that didn’t phase Darrington.
The Loggers weathered a 22-13 halftime deficit and raced back in the second half to capture their first tri-district title since 1993 with a 51-42 victory.
At halftime Logger coach Ben Bryson pulled Hailey Wales aside and told her that the team needed her to win.
“Hailey knew she was going to have to step her game up and put the team on her back,” Bryson said.
That is exactly what she did.
Wales scored 16 of her game-high 22 points and shot 7-for-9 on free throws in the second half.
Tacoma Baptist’s Melanie Shank had 13 points in the first half but the Loggers’ defense focussed on her in the second half. Shank scored just five points the rest of the way.
The Loggers’ first-round state opponent will be determined tomorrow.
“We want to keep these girls going and right now we are on a momentum swing,” Bryson said.
At Chief Leschi H.S.
Darrington591819—51
Tacoma Baptist715119—42
Darrington—Fanning 0, Gentry 6, H. Wales 22, Cousins 15, R. Wales 4, Baker 4, Pugh 0, Brooks 0. Tacoma Baptist—McDonald 0, Burns 0, Shank 18, Talon 4, Wintersole 0, Rea 6, Lyons 2, Wolf 12. 3-point goals—Cousins 3, Shank 4. Records—Darrington 16-6 overall. Tacoma Baptist 21-3.
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