Lady Pirates play Mt. Vernon Christian at Regionals

DAYTON–The Pomeroy Lady Pirates head to regional play against No. 1 seed Mt. Vernon Christian in Mt. Vernon Saturday after a nail-biting run through the District 9 consolation bracket. Tip off will be at noon, Saturday, February 26 at Mt. Vernon High School.

A win would send the Lady Pirates to a 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3 contest against the winner of the State first-round game played Wednesday, March 2, in the Spokane Arena. Should the Lady Bucs lose, they will play a 9 p.m., Wednesday, March 2 game against either Willapa Valley or Moses Lake Christian/Covenant.

The Lady Buccaneers held on to a hair-raising, one-point lead over Oakesdale, 37-36, in the final consolation-bracket game here last Saturday, advancing to that game with a 49-44 overtime win against DeSales Lady Irish. Pomeroy had earlier beaten Sunnyside Christian 30-26 and lost to Gar-Pal 45-16.

"There was no doubt in my mind that we could pull off this win [over Oakesdale] because I know how badly my girls want to make it to the Spokane Arena again," said Head Coach Tai Bye, "and they did everything they could to get exactly what they have been working for.

"Tonight's [Oakesdale] game is exactly what a play-in game to state should be," Bye said. "The atmosphere in the gym was awesome, and both teams battled each other to the very last second."

Bye knew Oakesdale would heavily defend Keely Maves, so adjustments were made, giving Elizabeth Ruchert more looks. "She kept us in the game by hitting some shots at the right time," Bye said, and finished with eight points and rebounds.

Maves wasn't far behind with 13 and six rebounds, and point guard Jillian Herres scored nine, snagged 10 rebounds and dished four assists.

The Lady Pirates stayed a couple steps ahead of the Lady Nighthawks through the first half, holding a 19-14 lead at the break.

Then Pomeroy blew it open in the last five minutes of the third quarter with eight straight points and a nine-point lead going into the final stanza. Ahead 25-22, Pomeroy's run began with a pair of Maves free throws. Then Haliee Brewer put back an Elizabeth Brewer miss, and Herres sank a lay up in heavy traffic. The eighth point was a Maves basket on a pick and roll, assist to Herres.

But the Lady Nighthawks erased that lead with nine unanswered points, knotting it at 33 all on a Marilla Hockett three pointer with 1:52 to play.

Maves stepped up, driving the key and scoring, but Lucy Hockett answered with a bucket and 35-35 with 1:10 to play.

Herres drove in for a contested lay up to hand the lead back to Pomeroy. On Oakesdale's next possession, Maves was called for a foul, her third, sending L. Hockett to the line where she split the two, score 37-36.

With only two team fouls, Oakesdale pressed full court and set to fouling Pomeroy to keep the offense at bay, eating up five seconds down to :30 remaining. Working the ball around, Maves couldn't get a handle on a pass and crossed midcourt, an over and back turnover.

Lucy Hockett decided to take control and drove the key, but was charged with a player-control foul, her fourth, with 16 seconds to play.

Pomeroy couldn't score and Oakesdale's next shot was blocked and there was a whistle. The official erroneously stopped the game on a cleanly blocked shot so called it a jump ball–and the possession arrow went to Pomeroy with 12 seconds to play.

Working the ball to Maves, Oakesdale's Emily Dingman fouled her, sending her to shoot a one-and-one. Maves's first shot caromed out and in a few frantic seconds, Oakesdale got the ball. Lucy Hockett's last-second lay up was no good and Herres rebounded to seal the win.

The Lady Pirates stayed alive in the consolation bracket with another heart-attack win, a 49-44 overtime win against DeSales February 16 in Dayton.

The Lady Pirates "had a lot of fight in them against DeSales, especially when we ended up in our fifth overtime of the season," Bye commented.

"Keely Maves hit a clutch three out of bounds to tie us up at the end and put us into overtime, which is exactly what a senior captain's role is," she said.

The Lady Bucs were ahead 35-34 with a minute and a half to play when DeSales's Morgan Thomas drained a three to lead 37-35. The Irish tacked on another point for a three-point lead.

Elizabeth Ruchert was fouled, but missed the front end, but the rebound went to Pomeroy. Herres worked the ball to the right, where Maves popped out to the arc, received the pass from Herres and swished a score-tying three pointer with just 12.6 seconds to play. Irish Regina Nelson's final shot was off and the game headed to overtime.

Maves buckled down and made one of two free throws, then popped in a bucket for a 41-38 Pirate lead. Ruchert added a free throw, but DeSales came back and went ahead 43-42 on a pair of Thomas free throws with :39 to play.

Maves came through again to give Pomeroy a 45-43 advantage with :24 remaining. The Irish didn't convert and fouled Chase Caruso, sending the 5-5 junior guard to the charity stripe where she hit both.

DeSales scored a single free throw, making it a three-point game, 47-44, and again Caruso was fouled with less than 10 seconds on the clock. She made both and solidified the 49-44 stay-alive win.

"Caruso was clutch on her free throws tonight," Bye noted "She hit four free throws in the final minute [of overtime] to seal the win for us. My veteran players are starting to take a stronger leadership role on the floor.

"Herres was a spark tonight and she controlled her team from the top," Bye added. "She was absolutely determined to win and played some of her strongest ball yet. She finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals."

Pomeroy 37, Oakesdale 36 (2/19)

Pom 10 9 14 4-37

Oak 6 8 10 12-36

Pomeroy (37) Jillian Herres 4-14 0-0 9, Chase Caruso 1-3 0-0 3, Keely Maves 5-13 3-4 13, Haliee Brewer 2-8 0-0 4, Elizabeth Ruchert 4-18 0-2 8.

Oakesdale (36) Emily Dingman 3-5 0-0 7, Marilla Hockett 5-16 3-6 15, Bradyn Henley 1-9 2-2 4, Lucy Hockett 2-6 3-6 7, Jenna Rawls 0-1 0-0 0, Kaylee Hinnenkamp 1-10 1-1 3.

3 Point Goals-Oakesdale: Dingman, M. Hockett 2. Pomeroy: Herres, Caruso.

Fouls: Oakesdale (11), Pomeroy (15). Fouled Out: None. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: Herres (10) Pomeroy Rebounds: Team (37). Turnovers: Pomeroy (15). Assists: Pomeroy (6).

Pomeroy 49, DeSales 44 (2/16)

Pom 7 11 10 10 9-49

Des 12 4 8 14 6-44

Pomeroy (49) Jillian Herres 4-12 4-4 13, Chase Caruso 2-12 4-2 9, Keely Maves 10-28 4-8 26, Haliee Brewer 0-3 0-0 0, Elizabeth Ruchert 0-2 1-5 1.

DeSales (44) Regina Nelson 4-11 0-0 8, Heidi Scott 2-9 1-2 5, Emmalyne Jimenez 1-6 0-0 2, Maddie Wahl 4-13 5-10 14, Morgan Thomas 3-13 6-9 15.

3 Point Goals-DeSales: Wahl, Thomas 3. Pomeroy: Herres, Maves 2, Caruso. Fouls: DeSales (17), Pomeroy (16). Fouled Out: Herres. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: Herres (10). Pomeroy Rebounds: Team (27). Turnovers: Pomeroy (16). Assists: Pomeroy (6).