AUBURN - Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Auburn Riverside High School turned into a history making event for the Mount Rainier girls basketball team.
Overcoming late foul trouble and a terrific rally from their persistent opponents, the state second ranked Rams (19-0, 15-0 league) held off the No. 7 Ravens 78-73 to claim their first South Puget Sound League 4A North Division title in only their second year at Class 4A. The championship also delivers Mount Rainier's first championship banner to hang in its gym.
This victory was truly hard fought, as the Ram led only 75-70 as 29.5 seconds showed in fourth quarter action. Brittany and Jordan McPhee were spectators at this time, having fouled out.
Stepping up under the intense pressure of being fouled and needing to convert critical free throws, senior forward Kiana Gandy was equal to the pressure, draining three of four free throws nestled around an Auburn Riverside missed field goal attempt to give Mount Rainier final access to the top and pushing her final point total to 20.
A Raven three-point buzzer beater created the final scoring of the game.
Used to winning most games by 20 to 30 points, Mount Rainier used its vaunted pressure defense and inside - outside offensive game to steamroll into a 57-33 control four minutes into the second half, but Auburn-Riverside kept the pressure on while also forcing the McPhee twins into foul trouble.
The Ravens (15-2, 11-2) flew back into contention with three-point goals in a 20-5 counter strike to face only a 62-53 deficit.
As 2:51 remained in regulation play, Ram point guard Jordan McPhee went to the bench with five fouls and 12 points. With 58 seconds remaining Brittany drew her fifth and exited with her game high 22 points to also make her a nervous observer of the final, dramatic seconds.
Amber Guillot and Maylynn Mtchell scored eight points apiece for the Rams to help offset five raven players in double figures.
Erin Bang and Jalea Crump led Auburn-Riverside with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Kendall Foster (13), Karina Gee (12) and Ilona Snyder (10) completed the five-player double figures scorers.
Previous game coverage
COVINGTON - Call it a prelude to a championship.
In front of a loud Kentwood home crowd, the No. 2 Class 4A state ranked and unbeaten Mount Rainier girls basketball team overcame some early deficits with terrorizing defense to thrash the Conquerors, 58-49, in SPSL North Division action on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
With the win against league third place Kentwood (9-3, 12-4) the Rams (14-0, 18-0) had to defeat second place Auburn Riverside (11-1, 15-1) on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to claim their first girls basketball championship.
The Rams defeated the second place Ravens, 61-48, at home on December 8, 2011.
"It was nice to have the load crowd roar and be able to fight back in this situation," said Ram head coach Bob Bolam. "We haven't had a lot of tough games. Our team needs games like this and tomorrow night because they're like playoff games. Tomorrow is the banner game. We want a championship banner in our gym."
This was the solid feeling of all Ram players, coaches and rooters that were hanging around the locked locker room.
Ajah Piper's three-point basket with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter increased a Mount Rainier four-point lead to a 34-27 control, beginning a Ram surge that essentially put the game in Mount Rainier's corner.
For the rest of the game, Mount Rainier hit the rebounds running and took care of the ball splendidly on the way to third quarter leads of 32-29 and 42-32.
With Brittany McPhee taking care of business personally at times with her playmaking, rebounding, shooting and blocked shots, the rest of the Rams followed suit by emulating McPhee's diving and wrestling for loose balls.
Like a human dynamo, the determined McPhee accounted for seven points in a 12-point fourth quarter Mount Rainier run that ballooned the Ram lead to 54-34.
In a Jan. 3, 70-64, home verdict over Kentwood, Mount Rainier needed a 30-13 fourth quarter super rally to win. This time, McPhee and company took care of business much sooner.
"We were more prepared and didn't underestimate them," explained McPhee, who scored 23 points and blocked five shots with a plethora of rebounds.
Defense stymied Kentwood quickly as the Rams ran off nine consecutive points for an 11-4 first quarter lead only to fall victim to the Ravens' 12-0 run to the end of the quarter.
Mount Rainier came back to a 17-16 second quarter lead following Amber Guillot's three-pointer before the game briefly turned into a close encounter. The Rams emerged with a 27-23 lead by halftime and maintained a four to six point margin until Piper's shot sent them accelerating away.
Jordan McPhee came on strong for 17 Mount Rainier points as well as distributing the ball well.
Jenny Johnson (16) and Kate Kramer (12) pace the Conquerors, who played without outside shooter and playmaker Maddison Rankin. The Kentwood player was still recovering from sickness during the week.
