For one quarter, the Rainier High School girls basketball team looked poised for a battle against reigning 2B state champion Colfax in the regional matchup on Friday, Feb. 23, at West Valley High School in Spokane.
Rainier traded baskets with the Bulldogs in the opening eight minutes, trailing 16-15 through the first period. In the following 24 minutes, however, Colfax dominated the Mountaineers more than any team this season, holding them to just 17 points for the remainder of the game. The Bulldogs prevailed, 57-32, to send fifth-seeded Rainier to a loser-out Round of 12 contest against Central 2B League foe and 12th-seeded Toutle Lake on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in Spokane. Results were not available before press time.
Rainier’s first impression at the state tournament, however, was its worst outing of the season as the Mountaineers scored a season-low 32 points. They connected on just 11 of 47 field goals for 23.4%, four of 17 3-point attempts for 23.5% and six of 11 free throws for 54.5%.
Colfax also controlled the rebounding game, pulling down 39 rebounds to Rainier’s 18. Junior Angelica Askey was the only Mountaineer to score in double figures with 18 points, and junior Bryn Beckman was the only other player to score more than two points with seven. Askey accounted for all four of Rainier’s 3-pointers, while the rest of the team combined to shoot 0 for 10 from behind the arc.
Rainier faced Toutle Lake at Spokane Arena on Wednesday. In their only meeting this season on Jan. 11, the Mountaineers knocked off the Fighting Ducks at home, 47-42, thanks to a combined 27 points from Beckman and Askey. If Rainier wins, it will face sixth-seeded Adna for the fourth time. The Mountaineers are the only team to best the Pirates and did so twice, most recently in the 2B District 4 tournament semifinals on Feb. 13.
