Back-to-healthy Camas fends off big Kamiakin challenge in Class 4A regional girls basketball thriller

BATTLE GROUND, Wash. - Reagan Jamison just had to get back for her teammates - for this journey to the WIAA basketball tournament.

She not only made it back, but she also made an impact for the Camas Papermakers at key moments Friday night.

Out of action for the past two months with a hip injury, Jamison returned to the basketball court just in time to come up clutch for Camas in a 52-48 victory over Kamiakin in a Class 4A regional-round girls basketball game at Battle Ground High School.

"It was awesome to step up like that. It was good to see I still have it," Jamison said.

Up 50-48 in the final minute of the game, Jamison got a steal and went the rest of the way for a contested layup and a four-point lead. A few seconds later, she got another steal to seal the victory for the Papermakers.

Camas, the No. 2 seed in this tournament, advances directly to the state quarterfinals and will play again Thursday night in the Tacoma Dome.

Kamiakin, No. 7, will play an elimination game Wednesday in the round of 12 against either Sunnyside or Bothell.

The Braves, who trailed by 16 points early in the third quarter, rallied to tie, had the momentum, and just missed out on a chance to go directly to the quarterfinals.

They had the ball with a minute to play before the first of three consecutive turnovers did them in against the Camas defense.

The first turnover led to a step-through move from Camas’ Addison Harris. Her lay-up made it 50-48 with 48 seconds to go.

Then it was all Jamison.

She got a steal and went the three-quarters length of the court for the basket and a four-point lead. And then that second steal. Camas would miss a free throw with three seconds remaining but by then the game was decided.

Welcome back, Reagan Jamison.

:I was a little surprised that she took over in the final 45 seconds because that’s a big ask,: Camas coach Scott Thompson said.

Then again, he wasn’t surprised.

"She looked amazing in practice all week. She looks like she’s ready," Thompson said. "She’s back."

And the Papermakers are going back to the dome as healthy as they have been in months. A year ago, Harris was injured in the bi-district tournament and missed state. Jamison became the team’s leading scorer in the postseason, en route to a fourth-place finish in the dome.

This year, they want to play Saturday night for a championship.

Harris scored a game-high 19 points in Friday’s win. She said the Papermakers went into survival mode after the Braves rallied.

"All through my mind, it was ‘Run faster, jump higher, rebound more, box-out hard,'" Harris said.

Camia Howard scored 16 points to pace the Braves. Kamiakin made seven 3-pointers in the second half to get back in the game, including three from Nicole Wertenberger. Maddy Rendall’s bank-shot 3-pointer tied the game at 48-48 with 1:38 to go.

Riley Sanz scored 13 points for Camas. Her 3-pointer early in the third quarter gave Camas a 34-18 lead.

Kamiakin wasn’t done, though. The Braves made it close.

Then Camas and Jamison closed it out, clinching a trip to the quarterfinals in the Tacoma Dome.

"It’s so awesome. I missed it so much," Jamison said. "Waiting for two months felt like the longest time. My team held it down for me pretty well."