By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Lakeside Lions’ second-half rally came up short as they fell to the Central Valley Bears, 39-34, in the 3A girls’ state basketball championship game at the Tacoma Dome.
Central Valley set the tone early, winning the tipoff and jumping out to a 4-0 lead behind quick baskets from Keana Gosney and McDonald’s All-American Brynn McGaughy. Lakeside’s Helena Christofilis responded with the Lions’ first points, but it was Central Valley’s aggressiveness on defense that made the difference early. Gosney got a steal and drew a foul on the fast break, converting both free throws to extend the Bears’ lead to 8-2. On the next possession, McGaughy blocked a Lakeside shot, setting up Aspen Henry for a layup that made the game in favor of the Bears, 10-2, and forced an early Lakeside timeout.
After the timeout, Lakeside’s Kaliya Woodard hit a three-point shot, cutting the deficit to 10-5. With two minutes left in the opening quarter, Lakeside’s Lili Brown converted two points at the free-throw line, and Central Valley’s Gabbie Wilson scored a basket, as Central Valley led 12-7 heading into the second quarter.
The Bears built on their momentum in the second quarter, with Henry knocking down a three-point shot to stretch their lead to 15-7. Christofilis and Central Valley’s Eden Sander both took trips to the line, each converting 1 out of 2 free-throw points for their respective teams to make the score 16-8.
With three minutes remaining in the half, Sander hit a three-point shot, and Lakeside’s Sophia David followed with a three-pointer of her own, bringing the score to 21-13, with Central Valley in the lead. Wilson hit another three-pointer on Central Valley’s next possession, and Gosney closed out the half at the free-throw line, where she converted one point to give the Bears a 25-13 lead going into halftime.
Lakeside came out of halftime with renewed energy, going on a 4-0 run behind Willa Chinn and Anvi Bhatia to cut the lead to 25-17. McGaughy momentarily stopped the Lions’ momentum with a three-pointer, but Lakeside continued to push. A three-pointer from Woodard capped off a 6-0 run that pulled the Lions within four, 28-24, forcing a Central Valley timeout.
With just under a minute left in the third quarter, Lakeside had clawed its way back to within two points at 28-26. However, the Lions suffered a major setback when Chinn picked up her fifth foul, forcing her out of the game. Woodard managed to tie the game at 28 with a layup just before the buzzer, sending the teams into the final quarter deadlocked.
Christofilis gave Lakeside its first lead of the game as she drained a smooth jump shot to start the fourth quarter, but McGaughy responded by converting two free throws to tie the game again at 30-30. After a timeout, Central Valley locked in defensively and took control, as McGaughy and Drae Domebo led a 6-0 run to give the Bears a 34-30 lead.
With 30 seconds remaining, Sander added two more points for Central Valley, and Domebo converted one free throw to make it 37-30. Christofilis cut into the deficit with a quick basket, but Lakeside was forced to foul. Gosney made both of her free throws to seal the victory, and despite a last-second shot from Christofilis, Central Valley held on for the 39-34 championship win.
Lakeside’s second-half rally gave them a chance, but ultimately, Central Valley’s early lead and strong defense proved too much to overcome.
McGaughy finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bears, while Christofilis scored a game-high 14 points for Lakeside.
After the game, Lakeside Head Coach Mia Augustavo-Fisher reflected on her team’s fight and resilience despite the outcome.
“This was a great experience, and I am super proud of my team for how they came out and battled,” Augustavo-Fisher said. “I am just so proud, and I couldn’t be happier.”
