Davis girls capture first conference championship since 1988 on buzzer-beating putback basket
YAKIMA, Wash. - After her own 1-for-8 performance from the free throw line, you hardly would’ve expected Davis High School 6-foot post player Shaela Allen-Greggs’ game-winning heroics to have anything to do with a free throw.
But the senior, who was sidelined early in a 4A CBBN showdown with Sunnyside with an ankle injury, continued the Pirates’ rise to state contender with a putback basket – from her knees to boot – on a teammate’s free throw in the final seconds to lift third-ranked Davis to a 65-63 victory Friday night.
The win came after Davis trailed by 11 points at halftime - and clinched the school its first conference championship since 1988.
"I’m really proud of how they battled in this one," Davis coach Akil White said. "We saw some adversity – we haven’t seen a lot of adversity – and they just kind of gave it to us. Hats off to Sunnyside, they’re phenomenal."
The Grizzlies seemed bent on spoiling the coronation many in the packed Davis gym expected. Ninth graders Baylee Maldonado and Lili Briones – 18 and 11 points, respectively – alongside senior Jansyn Carrizales (12 points) thwarted every charge the Pirates made.
It wasn’t until Nevaeh Patterson sank her fourth 3-pointer of the game with 3:20 to go that Davis was able to draw even with Sunnyside, 58-58. It was the first tie since the early moments.
The teams went back and forth with Briones knocking down both ends of a one-and-one with 14.1 seconds remaining for a 63-62 Grizzlies lead.
Davis got the ball in the hands of high-scoring junior Esmeralda Galindo, and the 5-foot-9 guard spun to the hoop and was fouled. After sinking the first free throw, Galindo’s second attempt clanged off the back iron.
Allen-Greggs pulled down her 13th rebound, and in the process dropped to her knees, where she heaved the ball up and through the hoop as time expired.
"I knew that since I wasn’t making free throws, I had to do something different and so I had to fight for every rebound and not do what I normally do," said Allen-Greggs, whose 11 points gave her a double-double.
Galindo scored a game-high 24 points and Patterson added 18.
The championship is particularly sweet for the Davis seniors, several of whom were ninth graders on varsity when the Pirates were 4-8 in league a season before White took over before the COVID-19 season.
"This is the first time in years that Davis – Davis girls – have been this far so I think it’s wonderful and it’s really powerful," Allen-Greegs said. "I’m so glad to have the opportunity to play with these girls, these girls are so amazing. I know we can go so far."
Davis (17-1 overall, 10-0) will try to cap an unbeaten run through the conference next weekend when it makes the short trip to Eisenhower next Friday before hosting West Valley on Feb. 11.
Sunnyside (13-6, 9-2) wraps up CBBN play next Friday when it entertains Wenatchee.
