What a game. What a finish.
That's all I could think after the Pasco girls' 48-46 victory over Moses Lake in the semifinals of the 4A Eastern Regional tournament Friday at Toyota Center.
It was an atmosphere befitting a state semifinal -- the crowd was raucous, and when Pasco played for the final shot at the end of regulation and the overtime period, it was so loud, you could hardly hear yourself think.
And when Kelsie Ramsey hit the 12-foot jumper over the outstretched fingertips of Moses Lake's Carly Noyes to win the game, it seemed like sweet justice -- since Noyes had just blocked Ramsey's game-winning shot attempt at the end of regulation.
Then in an instant, it went from sweet to bittersweet. I couldn't see it from where I was sitting, but I saw a replay thanks to a kind TV cameraman -- Ramsey rushing toward the Pasco bench to celebrate, jumping up and down in joy. As she landed following her second jump, her right knee buckles. As she wobbles, here come her teammates to join the celebration, and down she goes, in obvious pain.
The first thought -- a torn ACL. It won't be known for sure until Monday, but there's no way she'll play in tonight's championship game against Lewis and Clark.
Even with Ramsey, I don't think Pasco would beat LC, which looked every bit its dominant self in rolling past Walla Walla 64-41 in the first semifinal. The Bulldogs expended so much emotion and energy getting past Moses Lake, I don't know how much it would have in the tank for LC.
Without her, the Bulldogs might have the "win one for Kelsie" emotion in their favor, but they'll miss her presence on the court more. While Danielle Walter is the best player on the team, there's no doubt Ramsey is its beating heart.
That wasn't always the case -- I can remember many times her first couple of years that she would frustrate coach Steve Davis with her up-and-down play -- but this year she's matured into a team leader.
"I get to go to state my senior year," Ramsey said during halftime of the following game, the Ferris-University boys semifinal, the tears coming but not displacing her ever-present smile. "As long as our team is going, it'll be great to go up there.
"If I can't play, then I'll just have to coach. I'll be pretty loud on the bench."
As for Moses Lake, it'll be interesting to see how the Chiefs react to the loss. They, too, expended a lot of emotion and energy as they came thisclose to earning their first state berth, only to see it slip away.
You could see the pressure get to them in the fourth quarter and overtime, though. They got into the bonus with 7 1/2 minutes left in the game, but never took advantage. They didn't pound the ball inside to their big gun, junior post Carly Noyes (credit Ramsey and freshman Shelby Ellsworth for their defense, but Noyes also didn't demand the ball the way you'd think a two-time league MVP should), nor did they drive to the basket to draw fouls and get to the line.
A couple players looked downright scared when they got the ball, not wanting to make the big mistake that might cost them the game. How many times did they run the shot clock down, throwing the ball around the perimeter, in the final minutes of regulation and overtime? Only their backcourt tandem of Kelly Sutherland and Jordan Loera had that fire in their eyes that said they relished the moment and were ready to seize it.
Part of it is the newness of the situation. Moses Lake had never played in the regional semifinals. This was the Chiefs' first time playing on such a big stage. But even should ML survive a pair of loser-out games to qualify for state, their shaky play down the stretch is something they'll need to address because the Tacoma Dome is the biggest stage of them all.
And how about Walla Walla? The Blue Devils showed flashes of the play that earned them big playoff wins over Pasco and Mead in their semifinal against LC, but in the end, they don't have the firepower to get into a run-and-gun shooting match with a team the likes of the Tigers.
Wa-Hi should match up better against both its morning opponent, Shadle Park, and should it beat the Highlanders, either Mead or Moses Lake. None of the other three teams in the consolation bracket wants to play a high-tempo game, and Wa-Hi is excellent in the halfcourt game with the inside-out duo of Melissa Eastman and Jennifer Keyes. It would not surprise me one bit if the Blue Devils eke out a pair of close wins and grab the final state berth.
Hope to see you at Toyota Center today. It's an eight-game slate to close out the regional tournament, enough to satisfy a basketball junkie.
Til next time ...