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Pomeroy Pirates leave the floor with the win against Mossyrock during Saturday morning's game. The teams were tied 46-all at the end of regulation, putting them into overtime. Girls' Basketball Coach Tai Bye stated not one member of the Pomeroy team, on the floor or on the bench, thought they would lose in overtime. As the clock was reset to four minutes, the Lady Pirates went to work, executing their offense and playing tenacious defense, winning the fifth period 9-2 and the game 57-48. The Lady Pirates took possession of the game making it their sixth of six overtime wins this season and becoming 1B girls fourth-place team.
Pomeroy Pirate Chase Caruso, left, goes for the shot while Coach Tye Bye, center, and Pirate fans hold their breath for the basket, while the opposing team member, right, attempts to stop the shot by letting out a cry of despair. It was to no avail as the Pirates defeated Willapa Valley Wednesday night, March 2, 2022, scoring 46 to 32.
Another basket for Pomeroy Pirate Keely Maves, No. 24, who was a hot shot during Friday morning's game against Mossyrock, scoring 28 of the 59 total points in the overtime March 5 game to place fourth in State. Maves scored 23 in the opening win over Willapa Valley, a team-high 22 against Colton, and a game-high 27 in the Wilbur-Creston-Keller victory.
Pomeroy Pirate Jillian Herres perrrfects her moves as she winds her way through wildcat offense, maneuvering the ball to a basket, dropping another through the hoop for another two points in the winning game against Wilbur-Creston-Keller at Wednesday night's game. –EW photo by Charlotte Baker
Sportsmanship Medals were presented to a trio of Lady Pirates by Athletic Director Toddette McGreevy
SPOKANE–The "Overtime Kids" did it again.
For the sixth time this season and in this state tournament's first overtime game, the Lady Pirates won this season's sixth and final overtime game, a 57-48 win over Mossyrock in Saturday's fourth/sixth contest in the Spokane Arena.
The Lady Pirates reached the trophy round after a solid 63-39 win over Wilbur-Creston-Keller on Friday, a 57-43 loss to league-rival Colton Thursday and a 46-32 first-round, loser-out victory over Willapa Valley on the Arena floor Wednesday. Pomeroy reached state after losing 37-34 to eventual state champion Mt. Vernon Christian Feb. 26 in Mt. Vernon after squeaking through District with a 37-36 win over Oakesdale.
The league was well represented at state: Gar-Pal finished third, Pomeroy fourth and Colton placed fifth.
Mossyrock's zone defense and hustling point guard Payton Torrey had the Lady Bucs off balance during the first half.
"We made some adjustments in the third quarter," said Head Coach Tai Bye. "We got Keely [Maves] outside of the zone, and that allowed her to get some shots. And then when they switched to man, that allowed us to run our sets, which is what we're more comfortable with.
"We forced them to go to from a zone to a man and then we got some more looks and that was a good adjustment because then they couldn't stop her on the outside or the inside," Bye said.
"We had great control tonight, we had great composure," Bye said. "We had some girls, Elizabeth Ruchert and Haliee Brewer, who hit some very important shots. That's not normally their role, and so that was really fun.
"I will say, when we went overtime, that we all looked at each other and thought, 'well, this is fitting' and I don't think there was one person on the bench who thought we were going to lose going into overtime because we are now six for six for overtime," Bye said.
Maves, Pomeroy's 5-11 senior forward, scored a game-high 28 points, including a trio of treys and seven of the team's nine in overtime. "I thought it was a great weekend," Maves said. "We have a young team and so everybody had a 'first experience' on the court, and I thought everybody came out strong with it. We all worked together."
Junior point guard Jillian Herres handled the ball against Torrey's harassing pressure, and was hot from the arc, swishing four three pointers on her way to 16 points, rebounding 10, dishing six assists and stealing one. "She also guarded their best player," Bye said, "and helped cause 23 turnovers."
Senior post Elizabeth Ruchert scored only five, but her baskets were at most-opportune times. Ruchert banked in a trey halfway through the fourth quarter to put Pomeroy up by six, 46-40, and an overtime basket to re-knot the score 48 all.
Lady Viking sparkplug Torrey opened the game, scoring by being fouled, and making both. She then drained a three and Mossyrock was up by 5-0. Another Lady Viking basket on a fast break made it 7-0.
Maves went to work, scoring back-to-back buckets, one a court-length dribble, finished with a crossover.
Mossyrock scored to make it 8-4, but Herres lined up and hit the first of her four treys, signaling the Lady Vikings that the Lady Pirates weren't conceding this game, 9-7.
Mossyrock's Torrey made the next two baskets for a six-point lead, answered by Maves. After another Lady Viking basket made it 15-9, Maves kept the Pirate momentum with a three pointer at the buzzer, 15-12.
Opening the second quarter, Herres wasted no time tying it 15-15 with her second three pointer. Mossyrock's Caelyn Marshall, who scored 16, and Torrey combined for a 9-2 run for a seven-point lead with three minutes to play before half time.
Herres hit her third trey and a Chase Caruso steal was lofted to Maves for a fast-break lay in and a 24-22 half time score.
Junior wing Chase Caruso, who tuned up on her three pointers during the half-time break, got a look and hit one to start the third quarter, giving Pomeroy a 25-24 advantage. Pomeroy went ahead 28-26 on a Herres trey.
But Torrey, defended closely by Herres, had a good third stanza, scoring nine of the team's 12. Maves took Brewer assists up for two buckets, and keeping with the game's final-shot theme, Taylor Gilbert nailed a three with six seconds to go in the third quarter, pulling the Lady Bucs within one, 36-35.
Maves's move to the perimeter paid dividends as she hit a pair of threes, countered by Mossyrock buckets, for a precarious 41-40 lead.
Herres was fouled and hit both gifters for a 43-40 lead, then Ruchert banked in that crucial three pointer for 46-40.
Now under four minutes to play, Mossyrock's Torrey split a pair of free throws and made a basket to close the margin to three points as the Lady Vikings began pressing. The Lady Pirates were hurried and not getting their sets established, and an errant pass was swiped. But Pirate defenders held, Mossyrock turning the ball over on a shot-clock violation with under a minute to go.
Torrey fouled Herres in the back court, but she missed the front end of a one-and-one, Mossyrock rebounded with 39 seconds to go. After a Lady Viking time out, Torrey got the ball, shot from the arc, but misfired. Pomeroy rebounders were all over the ball, but it went out of bounds, Mossyrock's ball.
After another strategy time out, Mossyrock's Marshall lofted a trey and hit, tying it 46-46 with 12 seconds to go, and Pomeroy wasn't able to break it.
In overtime, Torrey took Maves's tip to Herres away and in for two points. Ruchert countered with a set shot in the key, 48 all.
Again the Lady Bucs caused a shot-clock turnover, but pressing Marshall stole the ball, then lost it out of bounds going for the layup.
Maves was fouled and gave Pomeroy a 49-48 lead. The Bucs got the ball back when Torrey uncharacteristically traveled. Herres dished to Brewer, whose unguarded jumper from the foul line broke the logjam at 2:08.
Tenacious Mossyrock got two three-pointers off, but both missed, and Pomeroy got the ball, 1:37 to play.
Herres attacked, working the ball in to Maves, who made another of her trademarked turnaround shots, 53-48. The Lady Vikes took a time out, got Torrey in position, but again her three shot didn't fall and Herres rebounded with :47 to play.
Pomeroy called time, and the play diagrammed worked: Maves hitting a bucket at :37, a seven-point lead. Torrey tried another from the arc and misfired, and Maves put the final touches on her high-school career with two free throws.
Pomeroy 63, Wilbur-Creston-Keller 39 (3/4)
The Lady Pirates blew ahead of the Lady Wildcats with a 14-6 second quarter, counting on consistent scoring and staunch defense for the 63-39 win Friday to advance to the trophy round.
"We talked a lot about this game being a mentally tough game after some late nights and a tough loss last night, so we wanted to keep our composure and really just have some fun," Bye commented. Pomeroy's first two games had 9 p.m. tip offs.
"We played to win because we wanted to bring home a trophy with us tomorrow," Bye said.
Maves again lead the team with a game-high 27 points, 10 rebounds and one block. Caruso was a force at the arc, hitting four treys, scoring 14 and feeding three assists.
Herres scored eight, had 11 assists and lead in rebounds with 12. "Jillian Herres was an energy spark tonight and her natural stamina on defense forced turnovers that allowed us points," Bye said.
Maves poured in 10 of the team's 15 first-quarter points, then the Lady Bucs held WCK to just six second-quarter points to lead 29-16 at half, and they never looked back.
Colton 57, Pomeroy 43 (3/3)
A low-scoring first quarter haunted the Lady Pirates the rest of the game in their 57-43 loss to league rival Colton Thursday.
"We had a slow start in the first quarter tonight and we had a hard time sinking our free throws," Coach Bye said. "We missed eight free throws that could have put us in closer range to Colton at the end."
The Lady Bucs' only points in the first quarter were via a three by Maves, and another Maves basket off of a Herres steal with :17 seconds on the clock while Colton counted 13.
That eight-point margin hung around all game, giving way to a Pirate third-quarter 7-1 scoring run for a 31-27 score before the Lady Wildcats edged away again, holding a 39-30 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Colton widened the difference.
"We came close in the third quarter but got defeated at the three-point line and gave up too many fouls that put them at the line," Bye said.
Maves finished with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Ruchert snuck in six points and seven boards. Herres had five points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Pomeroy 46, Willapa Valley 32 (3/2)
The Lady Pirates opened the Spokane Arena game with a strong showing, capitalizing on an ice-cold Lady Viking offense and overcoming the "state jitters" with a 10-2 first quarter, and going on to a 46-32 win in a loser-out contest.
Maves scored a game-high 23 while being double teamed, she and Caruso (13 points) combining for 15 points from the three-point arc.
"Once we got ourselves acclimated to the Arena a little bit," commented Coach Bye, "we were able to come to life tonight.
"We did a nice job on defense tonight, holding them to under 10 in the first half," Bye said.
"We need to continue to work on our third quarter offense, but our defense kept us going tonight.
"Keely Maves had a big game for us tonight, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds," she said. "Chase Caruso also finished well with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists. Jillian Herres worked the point well tonight and gave us the energy we needed on offense."
Willapa Valley took a 2-0 lead on a couple free throws in the opening salvo, but then it was Maves, Caruso and Herres chalking up the rest of the points and, with a bit of a lead, relaxing and finding their rhythm. The Lady Vikings were well defended but their shots weren't dropping, several nearly going in, then climbing back out of the rim.
Herres and Caruso got the ball into Maves plenty in the second stanza, Maves scoring eight straight before Caruso drained a three pointer with three seconds before half time.
Tripled up on Willapa with a 21-7 lead, the Lady Vikings came out with more fire in the third quarter. Hadlee Russell put back a miss but Jadence Gingerich backed into her defender, turned and popped in a bucket.
Willapa Valley went on a 10-2 run, shaving the Pirates' margin to an uncomfortable six points, 25-19, at the 1:31 mark. Then Caruso swished a three, followed by a pair of treys by Maves, growing the Lady Pirate lead to 13 points as the fourth quarter started.
Again Willapa pushed and Pomeroy cooled a little, but Maves and Caruso answered the call with points that preserved the cushy lead, 42-29 with 3:46 remaining.
With Maves double-teamed, Gingerich took a Herres feed up for two and Pomeroy's final basket was a put-back by Herres. Unable to see a last-minute rally to make up a 14-point deficit, the Lady Viking coach sent in reserves with a minute to play.
Pomeroy 46, Willapa Valley 32
Pom 10 11 13 12-46
WV 2 5 14 11-32
Pomeroy (46) Jillian Herres 3-14 0-1 6, Chase Caruso 5-15 0-1 13, Keely Maves 10-26 1-3 23, Jadence Gingerich 2-4 0-0 4, Elizabeth Ruchert 0-4 0-0 0.
Willapa Valley (32) Ana Chavez 1-4 1-3 4, Lanissa Amacher 2-16 3-3 7, Chayse Coady 0-1 0-0 0, Brooklyn Patrick 4-6 2-3 10, Lauren Emery 0-4 0-2 0, Hadlee Russell 1-5 0-0 0, Hannah Hamilton 3-14 3-4 9.
3-Point Goals-Willapa Valley: Chavez. Pomeroy: Caruso 3, Maves 2. Fouls: Willapa Valley 6, Pomeroy 12. Fouled Out: None. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: Maves 14. Pomeroy Rebounds: Team 38 Turnovers: Pomeroy 12 Assists: Pomeroy 16.
Colton 57, Pomeroy 43
Pom 5 15 10 13-43
Col 13 17 9 18-57
Pomeroy (43) Jillian Herres 2-7 1-3 5, Chase Caruso 2-8 2-2 7, Keely Maves 8-27 4-10 22, Elizabeth Ruchert 3-9 0-0 6, Taylor Gilbert, 1-2 0-0 3.
Colton (57) Maggie Meyer 8-22 6-12 25, Mary Pluid 3-7 4-5 10, Kyndra Stout 6-11 0-0 16, Kaydee Heitstuman 0-1 0-0 0, Sidni Whitcomb 0-4 6-8 6, Lola Baerlocher 0-3 0-0 0.
3 Point Goals-Colton: Meyer 3, Stout 4. Pomeroy: Caruso, Maves 2. Fouls: Colton (16). Pomeroy (19). Fouled Out: Caruso. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: Ruchert 7, Herres 7. Pomeroy Rebounds: Team (23). Turnovers: Pomeroy (14). Assists: Pomeroy (11).
Pomeroy 63, Wilbur-Creston-Keller 39
Pom 15 14 14 20-6
WCK 10 6 10 13-39
Pomeroy (63) Jillian Herres 2-7 2-2 8, Chase Caruso 5-15 0-1 14, Keely Maves 9-20 8-9 27, Jadence Gingerich 0-4 3-5 3, Haliee Brewer 1-1 0-0 2, Elizabeth Ruchert 3-7 0-0 6, Taylor Gilbert, 1-2 0-0 3.
WCK (39) Mackenzie Arden 1-10 1-2 3, Callie Haden 3-19 7-8 13, Kaidyn Maioho 2-6 3-5 7, Carly Johnson 0-2 0-0 0, Karsen Brasher 1-12 5-7 7, S. Snoger 0-2 0-0 0, Jayden Sapier 0-1 0-0 0, Rocksie Jimentula 2-3 2-2 6, Patricia Kurtz 0-1 1-2 1, Syd Robinson 1-5 0-0 2, Sacha Springstead 0-1 0-0 0, Dalley Angstrom 0-1 0-0 0.
3-Point Goals-WCK: None. Pomeroy: Caruso 4, Maves, Gilbert. Fouls: WCK (17), Pomeroy (19). Fouled Out: None. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: Herres 11, Maves 7. Pomeroy Rebounds: Team (33) Turnovers: Pomeroy (15) Assists: Pomeroy (16).
Pomeroy 57, Mossyrock 48 (OT)
Pom 12 10 13 11 9-48
MR 15 9 12 10 2-57
Pomeroy (63) Jillian Herres 5-15 2-2 16, Chase Caruso 1-3 0-0 3, Keely Maves 10-24 5-8 28, Haliee Brewer 1-4 0-0 2, Elizabeth Ruchert 2-9 0-0 5, Taylor Gilbert, 1-5 0-0 3.
Mossyrock (48) A. Lovan 0-3 0-0 0, T. Weise 1-2 0-0 2, P. Torrey 6-24 7-9 21, C. Marshall 6-11 2-2 16, H. Brooks 3-9 3-6 9, R. Marshall 0-1 0-0 0.
3 Point Goals-Mossyrock: Torrey 2, C. Marshall 2. Pomeroy: Caruso, Herres 4, Maves 3, Gilbert. Fouls: Mossyrock (11), Pomeroy (12). Fouled Out: None. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: Herres 10, Maves 7. Pomeroy Rebounds: Team (27). Turnovers: Pomeroy (15). Assists: Pomeroy (13).
