Mount Baker stuns Cashmere for 1A state championship
Mount Baker coach Kim Preston knows if her team needs a big defensive stop, her players have the resolve to make it.
When Mount Baker needed a big play most in Saturday’s 1A girls state championship game, McKenzie Yost came up huge, blocking a potential winning 3-point attempt by Cashmere’s Cami Knishka.
That block preserved a 45-44 win over the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Bulldogs and the first state basketball championship for the Mountaineers, who entered the tournament ranked No. 8 and finished the season 20-5.
Ironically, Knishka made a crucial 3-pointer over Yost and helped the Bulldogs win another nail-biter, 36-34, in a regional final Feb. 25.
“She made that shot in my face at regionals,” Yost said while smiling her best “not-again” smile after the game. “Not today.”
Preston marveled at her team’s defense in the fourth quarter. Mount Baker held Cashmere (25-1) without a basket for the final 7:15.
“The word I keep hearing when people describe this team is gritty, and it seems like if we need to, we’re able to dig down and make defensive stops,” Preston said as her players cut down the nets in the Yakima Valley SunDome. “It doesn’t matter if we’re trying to stop Alexis Castro from Granger or Hailey Van Lith from Cashmere, we can do what needs to be done.”
What the Mountaineers needed to do in the third quarter was slow down Van Lith, Cashmere’s standout freshman. The Bulldogs roared back from a 30-15 halftime deficit with a 19-0 run that spanned the final 5:20 of the quarter. Van Lith seemed to shake off first-half struggles, scoring 16 points in the quarter.
Mount Baker’s offensive effort was balanced. Kylind Powell and all-tournament selection Stephanie Soares scored 12 points each. Tournament MVP Danielle Tyler added 10 points. Soares had 13 rebounds and seven blocks, and her older sister Jessica, the team’s only senior, had nine rebounds.
The Mountaineers dominated the first quarter, going on a 15-0 run over a 2:45 span and turning a 6-2 deficit into a 17-6 lead. In the first half, Powell scored eight, Tyler and Jessica Soares had seven each and Stephanie Soares had six. The Soares sisters were dominant in the paint in the first half, combining for 13 of Mount Baker’s 20 rebounds.
Perhaps more importantly, Abbie Johnson, Cashmere’s tallest player at 6 feet, picked up two fouls within five seconds and sat out the last part of the surge. The second foul was ruled intentional and the ensuing free throws by Jessica Soares completed a five-point play.
Van Lith was ineffective early. She hit just 1 of 11 shots but led the Bulldogs with seven rebounds in the half.
Mount Baker 45, Cashmere 44
Cashmere | 8 | 7 | 25 | 4 | – | 44 |
Mount Baker | 17 | 13 | 4 | 11 | _ | 45 |
CASHMERE – Hailey Van Lith 6-26 6-6 18, Jaspers 1-1 0-0 2, Knishka 3-11 2-2 9, Mongeon 2-8 0-0 5, Abbie Johnson 3-8 4-4 10, Thies 0-1 0-0 0, Hammond 0-0 0-0 0, High 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 15-56 12-14 44.
MOUNT BAKER – Malone 1-5 0-0 2, Stephanie Soares 6-11 0-1 12, Danielle Tyler 4-16 0-0 10, J. Soares 2-4 3-3 7, M. Yost 1-3 0-0 2, Bertand 0-1 0-0 0, Kylind Powell 6-8 0-0 12, A. Yost 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 3-4 45.
3-point goals – Cashmere 2-17 (Knishka 1-5, Mongeon 1-5), Mount Baker 2-6 (Tyler 2-6). Rebounds – Cashmere 30 (Van Lith 12, Johnson 8), Mount Baker 37 (S. Soares 13, J. Soares 9). Assists – Cashmere 5 (Van Lith 4, Johnson 1), Mount Baker 8 (Malone 2, S. Soares 2, Tyler 2, Powell 2). Turnovers – Cashmere 8, Mount Baker 21. Total fouls – Cashmere 11, Mount Baker 11. Fouled out – None.
This story was originally published March 4, 2017 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Mount Baker stuns Cashmere for 1A state championship."