WIAA Class 3A state girls basketball updates, first round

TACOMA, Wash. — The 2022 Hardwood Classic is underway. Game updates, top performers, video highlights and interviews will be provided here.

Follow the action:

NO. 5 SNOHOMISH 46, NO. 12 BONNEY LAKE 44

Talk about back-to-back weeks of holding your breath. 

But Snohomish High School girls basketball coach Ken Roberts got to breath a sigh of relief after this instead of the angst-filled one of this past weekend when his Panthers held on after squandering a double-digit lead for the 46-44 victory over Bonney Lake on Wednesday in the first round of the 3A state tournament. 

And Snohomish (16-4) had to finally figure out how to contain Bonney Lake's Jazmyn Shipp, who scored a game-high 27 points with six rebounds to claw the Pierce County League Panthers back from what was a 12-point deficit in the third quarter. 

But Ella Gallatin connected on a three-point play with 1:10 remaining to give Snohomish a 44-42 lead. She then iced the game off another Snohomish offensive rebound with two free throws to make it 46-42 with 23 seconds left. 

Snohomish turned the ball over 24 times, but made up for it with a startling 47 rebounds to Bonney Lake's 26. 

"I knew this wasn't going to be my last game," said Gallatin, who scored 14 points with 10 rebounds for Snohomish. "I didn't want my season to end that way." 

Now Snohomish gets a rematch with No. 3 Arlington, which won their first meeting with the Panthers, 57-44, on Jan. 24. 

"It's the best feeling in the world," Gallatin said of advancing. "I'm so excited. 

"And I'm so excited to play them (Arlington). I think them not having the home-court advantage is huge for us. I'm ready to get after it." 

FINAL: NO. 7 STANWOOD 53, NO. 10 AUBURN 39

It took more than a half, but the Spartans (13-5) finally were able to pull away from a game squad of Trojans (16-8).

Stanwood led it by just four, 24-20, with 6:32 to play in the third quarter after Ialissa Frederickson softly put in a shot from in front of the rim for Auburn. On the ensuing possession, though, the Spartans dropped the ball inside to Vivienne Berrett, who powered to the rim for two.

Berrett’s basket ignited a 16-5 run that only ended on another Berrett basket with 6:46 left in the game and Stanwood leading 40-25. That was only one point shy of the Spartans largest margin of the game.

Those two field goals were part of Berrett’s 13 points for the game. She added 14 rebounds and four assists from her post position.

Game-high scoring honors went to Grace Walker for Stanwood, who made six of her seven overall shots, including four of five from behind the 3-point arc, to finish with 17 points. Chloe Furnstahl had 12 points to pace Auburn.

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FINAL: HERMISTON 57, KELSO 46

For such a young group, the Bulldogs keep checking boxes.

And right now, they checked the biggest one off Wednesday afternoon - first WIAA state-tournament victory.

It was also history as Hermiston became the first Oregon program to win in a Washington state basketball tournament.

"It fills our hearts up," Bulldogs point guard Izzy Simmons said.

And they were facing a wounded Kelso team without its best player. Utah State-bound Natalie Fraley suffered a serious knee injury in the team's regional-round loss to Arlington.

Hermiston jumped all over the Hilanders, too, taking a 40-17 lead midway through quarter.

Then the scoring stopped. And Kelso started cutting into the deficit - quickly.

The Hilanders cut it to 49-44 on Evermore Kaiser's basket with 1:37 to go. But Hermiston held them off by making six of eight free throws down the stretch.

"We just do enough to win right now," Hermiston girls coach Jay Ego said.

They are also building for future trips to the Tacoma Dome.

"It's a good thing we made it this year to get the feel for it before my sophomore year, my junior year, my senior year," Simmons said.