By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The four-time defending state champion Garfield Lady Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking loss to the #1 seed in the state 3A girls’ basketball tournament, the Central Valley Bears, in a semifinal matchup Friday afternoon. In a game filled with momentum shifts, defensive intensity, and clutch plays, Central Valley held on in the final seconds to defeat Garfield 51-49.
The game opened with Central Valley winning the tip, and Eden Sander quickly put the Bears on the board with two early points. Garfield responded when Kahmiya Bryant drained a three-pointer off a Lena Most assist, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Central Valley’s offense started to click as Brynn McGaughy and Gabbie Wilson led a 4-0 run, but Garfield’s Jayda Lewis kept the Bulldogs close with a tough layup. She was fouled on the play but unfortunately missed the free throw attempt as the Bulldogs trailed 6-5.
Mariah Roy gave Garfield a brief lead as she hit a contested shot in the corner, but Central Valley’s Drae Domebo answered with a three-point shot to put the Bears back on top, 9-7. Star Smiley then tied the game at 9-9 with a layup. In the final minute of the first quarter, Central Valley’s Gracie Lanphere made a basket, and Garfield’s Roy made a three-point shot before Wilson was sent to the line with four seconds left, where she converted both free throws to give Central Valley a 13-12 lead heading into the second quarter.
Central Valley started the second quarter with possession, and Sander wasted no time driving through Garfield’s defense for a layup. Domebo followed with another basket, increasing the Bears’ lead to 17-12. The Bulldogs struggled to break through Central Valley’s defensive pressure, as the Bears double-teamed Lewis at half-court, forcing a difficult possession. However, Lewis remained composed, passing the ball around before cutting to the hoop for a layup to trim the deficit to 17-14.
Central Valley called a timeout to slow down Garfield’s momentum, and after the break, Lanphere added two points, but Lewis answered with another bucket, making it 19-16. With half of the quarter remaining, Roy picked up her second foul, sending Aspen Henry to the line, where she made one of two free throws. Lewis made her presence felt defensively with multiple steals and rebounds, helping Garfield stay in the game. After grabbing a rebound, she found Roy for a corner jumper, bringing Garfield within two at 20-18.
In the closing minutes of the half, Domebo hit a three-point shot, but Roy responded with a three-pointer of her own. Despite Garfield’s efforts, Central Valley maintained a 29-23 lead heading into halftime, with the Bulldogs facing foul trouble. Roy, Most, Carter-Vincent, and Lewis each picked up two fouls in the first half, while Bryant had three.
Garfield opened the second half with a quick defensive stop, and Lewis was sent to the line, where she converted both free throws to cut the deficit to 29-25. The Bears struggled to find their rhythm early, and Smiley capitalized, sinking a three-point shot to make it a one-point game at 29-28.
With just under five minutes left in the third, Lewis stole the ball and raced down the court for a layup, giving Garfield its first lead since the opening quarter, 32-31. Central Valley called a timeout, regrouped, and responded with a 9-0 run as they quickly built a 40-32 lead. Bryant finally ended the run with a jump shot to make the score 40-34.
In the closing moments of the third quarter, both teams traded free throws. Most and Lewis each converted one of two attempts at the free-throw line for Garfield, while McGaughy added a free throw for Central Valley. With a minute left, Keana Gosney extended the Bears’ lead with two free throws, giving them a 43-36 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter started with Garfield in foul trouble, as Lewis quickly picked up her fourth foul. As tensions and nerves were high for both teams, Central Valley was then called for an over-and-back violation. Bryant also quickly picked up her fourth foul, sending McGaughy to the line, where she made both shots, making the score 45-36. Most followed on the next possession with a three-point shot that ignited the Bulldogs’ fans, making the score 45-39.
With three minutes remaining, Central Valley held a 49-41 lead, but Garfield wasn’t done yet. Lewis was fouled on an and-1 opportunity and made the free throw, closing the gap to 49-44. On the following possession, Sander fouled out, and Most went to the line, where she converted both free throws to make it a one-possession game at 49-46.
With a state championship game on the line, the atmosphere was intense, causing Central Valley to turn the ball over and Garfield to face a shot clock violation on their next possession. Most then exited the game with a hand injury, and Carter-Vincent subbed in to take over while Most recovered. Lewis then fouled out with 33 seconds left in the game, and Most subbed back in right after her injury to replace Lewis on the court.
With 30 seconds remaining, Most came up clutch, draining a three-point shot to bring Garfield within two points at 51-49. Garfield immediately called a timeout to set up its final defensive stand. Out of the timeout, Carter-Vincent fouled McGaughy, sending her to the line with 10 seconds left. McGaughy missed both free throws, giving Garfield one last chance to tie or win the game.
On the final possession, Most drove to the hoop for a contested layup, but the shot fell short as the Bulldogs fell to Central Valley 51-49 in a hard-fought game.
Domebo finished the game with 12 points and one rebound, while McGaughy contributed 11 points, 12 rebounds, and one assist to lead Central Valley. Lewis led Garfield with 14 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while Most added 13 points, two rebounds, and four assists.
With the win, Central Valley advances to the 3A state championship game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Garfield will play for third place at 11:15 a.m.
Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Central Valley
Staff Photos/Aaron Allen
