Just a couple more successful free throws or another 3-pointer ripping the net against the Columbia River Rapids last week would have given the Woodland Beaver girls basketball squad an early first-place slot in the 2A Greater St. Helens League.
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the girls squads faced off in Beaver territory, resulting in a 42-41 win for the Rapids.
Woodland went to the locker room for half time with a 21-18 lead, but it was a new ball game later as the Beavers and Rapids were tied at 32 entering the fourth quarter.
“We showed we could get them,” Beavers head coach Glen Flanagan said. “We just have to finish, you know. It’s a hard fought game and you hope to come out on top because you spend a lot of energy, but you know we have the team to do it.”
Flanagan added that his team has to take care of the ball better. He also said the girls panicked when the Rapids turned on a full-court press repeatedly, which led to numerous turnovers.
He also pointed out the free throw misses as a major turning point in the battle for the early first-place slot.
“I felt like we should have had it. If we make our free throws, we win it,” Flanagan said.
Sophomore forward Kennedy Bockert had a strong performance once again in the paint with 24 points and grabbed almost every pass sent her way down low. Addi Stading, a senior guard for the Beavers, had seven points.
Woodland only hit one 3-pointer on the night, a sign of what assistant coach Josh Bunger said the previous week of Woodland having cold and hot streaks from beyond the arc.
“They’re chopping the wing and we have people open. We just have to take advantage of that, and so we have open looks. We just have to handle the pressure better,” Flanagan said.
The Woodland Beavers battled the Ridgefield Spudders on Thursday, Jan. 16, resulting in a 70-43 win and a 7-1 league record as of last week. The Beavers look to continue their success with a road game at Mark Morris High School on Tuesday, Jan. 21, but results were unavailable as of press time. They next host Hockinson High School at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23.