Chiawana girls fall short in Tacoma. Season ends with 25-2 record

It wasn’t the way the Chiawana girls basketball players wanted the season to end.

After winning their first 25 games this season, the Riverhawks lost their final two games — including Wednesday’s 52-49 verdict to Kennedy Catholic in a loser-out contest on the Tacoma Dome floor — in the WIAA Class 4A state basketball tournament.

Still, it was a great season for a Chiawana team that had lost two players to NCAA Division I schools (Malia Ruud to Washington State and Kaia Foster to New Mexico), only had two returning seniors, and a lot of inexperience.

“It sure wasn’t the ending we wanted,” said Chiawana coach Gary Jonas. “After the game, we told them we loved them. We talked about our two seniors (Baylee Maldonado to Central Washington University and Gianna Medelez to Whitworth) and how they’re going off to college.

“We tied the school record for most wins in a season. We had the (Mid-Columbia Conference) Player of the Year (in Maldonado) and the (MCC) Defensive Player of the Year (in freshman Chloe Clyde).”

The essence was Chiawana than into a buzzsaw this last week: losing 59-48 to an athletic Lake Washington team, before matching up with Kennedy team that was a mirror image of the Riverhawks.

Chiawana got off to a slow start, shooting just 1 for 11 from the 3-point line in Wednesday’s game in the Tacoma Dome.

Trailing 22-14 at halftime, though, the Riverhawks chipped away at the Lancers’ lead. Freshman Kailee Maldonado hit a layup with 2 minutes remaining to give Chiawana a 49-48 lead.

However, Kennedy sophomore Jayden Fitzgerald sank two free throws with 25 seconds remaining, giving the Lancers the lead for good at 50-49.

“Free throws killed us today,” said Jonas.

Chiawana was just 7 for 15 from the line.

Kailee Maldonado finished the game with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals; while senior Baylee Maldonado had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Paige Nadarski led Kennedy with 17 points and 5 rebounds.

4A boys

(6) PUYALLUP 60, (11) CHIAWANA 51: The Riverhawks’ season came to an end when they fell behind early and could never catch up in the loser-out game in Tacoma.

Chiawana struggled in the first half, shooting 4 for 24 (16 percent) from the floor. Meanwhile, the Vikings were up 17-3 after one quarter.

Messiah Guy led Chiawana with 10 points, while Gage Williams had 8 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals.

Will Nasinec led Puyallup with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Chiawana, making its first Tacoma Dome appearance in school history, ends its season at 22-5.

2A boys

(7) GRANDVIEW 74, (15) FOSTER 71 (OT): Senior Francisco Medina scored 7 points in Grandview’s 9-2 overtime run, and the Greyhounds beat the Bulldogs in a loser-out game in the Yakima Valley SunDome.

Medina finished with a game-high 37 points. He also had 5 steals.

Teammate Braden Santos added 17 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists.

Ammier Hussein led Foster with 19 points and 4 steals.

Grandview (19-7) advances to the quarterfinals, where they will meet No. 1 Bremerton (21-2) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

1A boys

(3) ROYAL 61, (11) OVERLAKE 33: Grant Wardenaar scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had 5 assists as Royal eliminated Overlake in Yakima.

The Knights (22-4), who never trailed in the contest, outrebounded Overlake 48-30.

Dax Jenks added 10 points and 7 rebounds for Royal, which will play No. 5 Annie Wright (16-9) in a state quarterfinal game at 9 a.m. Thursday.

2B boys

(12) COLUMBIA-BURBANK 63, (4) TOLEDO 55: The Coyotes upset Toledo, never trailing once in the loser-out contest in Spokane.

Brody Schumacher led Burbank with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while JJ McVicker added 7 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Coyotes outscored the Rockets 14-2 in points off of turnovers, and six different Burbank players made at least one 3-point field goal.

Cooper Fallon led Toledo with 19 points, 19 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Burbank (16-11) meets No. 6 Reardan in the quarterfinals at 7:15 p.m., Thursday.

1B boys

(6) LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 71, (11) MUCKLESHOOT TRIBAL 38: The Patriots survived a loser-out game to advance to the quarterfinals in Spokane.

LC never trailed in the game, as Ryker Wageman scored 25 points, and had 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Teammate Camden Hogaboam added 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Richland school (23-3) now plays its Southeast 1B Grape Division rival, No. 4 DeSales (21-4), in a 1B quarterfinal game at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Spokane Veterans Arena.

(5) MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN/CHRISTIAN COVENANT 47, (12) TOUCHET 45: Touchet’s magical post-season run came to an end on Wednesday, as the Redhawks lost a loser-out game to the Lions in Spokane.

Touchet eight grade sensation Aylen Garnett led all scorers with 35 points. He also had 11 rebounds and 3 steals. There were eight lead changes in the game.

The Redhawks forced 16 turnovers and outscored MLC/CC 22-6 in points off of turnovers.

Touchet, making its first state tournament appearance in school history, finished the season with a 16-9 record.

(7) NEAH BAY 74, (10) SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN 58: Neah Bay pulled away in the fourth quarter to eliminate the Knights.

Jake Smeenk led SSC with 21 points, while teammate Jackson Bosma added 12. SSC ends the season with a 20-8 record.

1B girls

(6) CROSSPOINT CHRISTIAN 53, (11) LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 44: Eighth grader Taylor Haak scored 28 points, had 6 rebounds and 7 assists, but it wasn’t enough as Richland’s Liberty Christian dropped a loser-out game to Crosspoint Christian.

Chloe Idler added 12 points for the Patriots, who end their season with a 17-8 record.

The game was close until the Wildcats pulled away 22-10 in the fourth quarter.

Lucia Watson led the Wildcats with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

Tacoma Dome

4A boys — (6) Puyallup 60, (11) Chiawana 51 (loser out)

4A girls — (11) Kennedy Catholic 52, (3) Chiawana 49 (loser out)

Yakima Valley SunDome

2A boys — (7) Grandview 74, (15) Foster 71 (OT), (loser out)

1A boys — (3) Royal 61, (11) Overlake 33 (loser out)

Numerica Veterans Arena, Spokane

2B boys — (12) Columbia Burbank 63, (4) Toledo 55 (loser out)

1B boys — (6) Liberty Christian 71, (11) Muckleshoot Tribal 38 (loser out)

1B boys — (7) Neah Bay 74, (10) Sunnyside Christian 58 (loser out)

1B boys — (5) Moses Lake Christian/Covenant Christian 47, (12) Touchet 45 (loser out)

1B girls — (6) Crosspoint Christian 53, (11) Liberty Christian 44 (loser out)

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Tacoma Dome

4A boys — Quarterfinal: (9) Auburn/(8) West Valley-Yakima winner vs. (2) Richland, 9 p.m.

Yakima Valley SunDome

2A boys — Quarterfinal: (7) Grandview vs. (1) Bremerton, 5:30 p.m.

2A girls — Quarterfinal: (5) Archbishop Murphy vs. (3) Prosser, 12:15 p.m.

1A boys — Quarterfinal: (5) Annie Wright vs. (3) Royal, 9 a.m.

1A girls — Quarterfinal: (6) Bellevue Christian vs. (5) Royal, 3:45 p.m.

Numerica Veterans Arena, Spokane

2B boys — Quarterfinal: (5) Tri-Cities Prep vs. (3) Okanogan, 3:45 p.m.

2B boys — Quarterfinal: (12) Columbia Burbank vs. (6) Reardan, 7:15 p.m.

1B boys — Quarterfinal: (6) Liberty Christian vs. (4) DeSales, 9 a.m.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.