KELSO — Trudging through a slow start, and surviving a frantic final minute, the Napavine girls basketball team relied on the hot and steady shooting of Hayden Kaut, and the leadership of its seniors to win its 2B District 4 semifinal matchup against Rainier Tuesday night, 53-52.
Kaut poured in a game-high 24 points, all through the first three quarters, keeping the Tigers alive after a dismal start on the offensive end for just about everyone else.
“I’m so in awe of what she’s had to go through and to play like she did tonight,” Napavine coach Shane Schutz said. “She’s a special, special kid. She found something in her core to help lift us, and we needed it.”
Kaut’s early buckets kept Napavine afloat in the first half after scoring just eight points in the first quarter. The freshman scored 14 of the Tigers’ 24 first half points, and despite lopsided shooting numbers, saw Napavine trail by just seven at the break.
She scored another 10 points in the third quarter to help Napavine to a 21-9 frame, and gave the Tigers a lead heading into the fourth.
Though Kaut was kept off the scoreboard in the fourth, her teammates picked her up, with Morgan Hamilton and Danielle Tupuola hitting some timely buckets to help the Tigers punch their ticket to the regional round of state, and the district title.
Up by four with just under three minutes to play, the Tigers wouldn’t score another point, and let Rainier get within one after a Brooklynn Swenson triple with 52 seconds left, but held firm from there.
“Tonight was a gutsy performance,” Schutz said. “It wasn’t pretty and we had a lot of mental errors, but the kids played with grit and found a way. We weren’t going to quit and were going to go down fighting. We found a way to claw back and win. That was a battle.”
The Mountaineers gave them a stiff test Tuesday night, leading for the majority of the game until their offense dried up in the third quarter.
Then began a mad dash in the final minute to try to tie it up or take the lead. After Swenson’s 3-pointer, Rainier had several chances to tie it or take the lead either at the free throw line or on offense, but couldn’t get a shot to fall.
The loss drops the Mountaineers to the consolation semifinals against Raymond at W.F. West, where they will hope to battle into the third-place game Thursday night. The Mountaineers have two games left, and need just one win to advance to the regional round of state.
Angelica Askey led the way all night long for Rainier, scoring a team-high 18 points and dishing out assists left and right to help build up an early lead. Bryn Beckman scored 12 points, hitting four 3s in the first half, and Swenson added another 12 for the Mountaineers.
But Kaut, and some late plays from its leaders, helped Napavine take the win and advance to the district title game, set to be played at W.F. West on Saturday at 6 p.m against rival Adna.
“You’re dealing with nerves and when you’re dealing with nerves you still need to execute,” Schutz said. “We have to be able to find ways to overcome that, but I was proud of our leadership tonight. Our kids battle and never quit.”
