'Tahoma Dome?' Bears scoot by Gonzaga Prep to reach Class 4A girls basketball semifinals for first time in school history

TACOMA - The Tahoma girls basketball picked up its first state tournament victory in the Tacoma Dome in 24 years, but it was a grind.

Hope Hassman supplied 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists as the third-seeded Bears made school history by advancing to the Class 4A state semifinals for the first time, earning a 51-43 triumph over No. 12 seed Gonzaga Prep in a state quarterfinal game Thursday.

Amelie Sitterud added 10 points and three blocked shots for the Bears, who limited the Bullpups’ power trio of Taliah Lee (eight points), Lucy Lynn (12 points) and Gillian Bears (five points). Sitterud provided a late block to help seal the win.

“It means so much, we’re so hyped,” said Hassman, the Bears’ senior point guard who sank seven of 15 field goals, and was 9-for-13 from the free-throw line. “We’re so happy. We just had the biggest best hugs with all our teammates. We’ve worked so hard and to see us win our first game at the Dome was great.

“First it was to get to the Dome and now to win our first game is just making history. Our work is paying off, but we’re not done.”

Tahoma (23-3) meets the Woodinville-Camas winner in Friday’s 4A state semifinal game at 9 p.m.

Gonzaga Prep (19-8) falls into consolation play against the Woodinville-Camas loser in a Friday loser-out game at 2 p.m.

The Bears first and only win at state under the bright lights of the Tacoma Dome came in the first round of 4A state when they scored a 53-39 win over Central Valley of Spokane in 1999.

Tahoma survived a 5:36 scoreless stretch that spanned from the end of the first quarter into the second and went into halftime tied 22-22.

Gonzaga Prep was without top scorer Lee for the final 10:47 of the first half after she went to bench with two fouls. Bullpups teammate Bears, the team’s 6-foot-3 inside presence, sat out the final 4:11 of the first half after she picked up her second foul on a charging call.