The second seed Medomak Valley girls fell behind 13-4 in the first quarter and could never overcome the deficit as they lost 40-34 to third seed Spruce Mountain in the Class B South semifinal on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the Portland Expo. The Phoenix’ defensive scheme targeted Panthers leading scorer Kytana Williamson and held her to just 2 free throws in the first half as they built a 24-12 lead.
The Panthers clawed their way back in the fourth quarter to trail just 35-32 with two minutes remaining. The desperate Panthers were forced to foul the Phoenix, who made five free throws to extend the lead enough to stall out the clock and end the Panthers’ season. Sara Nelson led the Panthers with 11 points. The Phoenix were led by Jasmine Pingree who scored 11 points, including 3 clutch free throws in the closing minutes.