FOREST GROVE – The Sutherlin girls basketball team overcame 10 turnovers in the first quarter and hung on with some good free throw shooting in the fourth period to defeat fourth-seeded Mazama 42-35 in the 4A girls state basketball tournament at Forest Grove Thursday afternoon.
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs (21-5) trailed 4-2 in the first quarter when Harlee Baker made a three-point play to give them their first lead at 5-4. Sutherlin never trailed again. The Bulldogs scored eight-straight to lead 10-4 at the first quarter break.
Sky-Em League Player of the Year Taylor Stricklin heated up in the second period with seven of the Bulldogs’ 10 points to give them a 10-point lead at halftime.
But Mazama (17-7), the Skyline League champions, made a run in the second half with sophomore guard Maddy Lease scoring seven points in the third period to bring the Vikings within five.
In the fourth quarter, Mazama junior center Landy Williams hit a lay-in with 5:16 left to play to cut the Sutherlin lead to one at 29-28.
But the Bulldogs would not relinquish the lead. Freshman Abby Masterfield hit a pair of big free throws to make it a three-point lead again.
Mazama started fouling and the Bulldogs kept making free throws. They hit 13-of-17 free throws in the fourth period with Eliza Sorenson hitting 4-of-4 and Baker was 5-for-8.
Sorenson, who hit the game-winner against Mazama last year, hauled down 14 rebounds to go with her six points, three assists and two blocked shots.
“We really had to keep the nerves under control, especially for the younger ones that hadn’t been here,” said Sorenson. “I was more nervous this year than last year, just because more was put on me.”
“Eliza probably played the best game she’s ever played for us,” said coach Josh Grotting.
Harlee Baker had 10 of her game-high 14 points in the second half and finished with five rebounds. She said Mazama took away the three-point shot with their pressure defense.
“I didn’t shoot any threes, but I don’t think it hurt us because we were driving and getting points that way and drawing fouls,” said Baker.
Stricklin finished the game with13 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.
“The first quarter was awful and the nerves probably got to some people, though the defense was good for the most part. I’m really proud of the freshmen, how they played for their first time here,” said Stricklin of point guard Kiresten Haines and wing Abby Masterfield, who came off the bench when Kiersten Porter got in foul trouble.
“In the first quarter it was a turnover problem, in the second quarter I thought we played our best basketball, but we still missed lay-ins,” said Grotting.
It was the 15th straight playoff victory for Sutherlin and the second year in a row they’ve knocked off Mazama.
Sutherlin advances to the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Friday against Seaside which upset the pre-tournament favorite and number one ranked Cascade 47-42 Thursday afternoon.
The Vikings will play Cascade in the consolation round.
SUTHERLIN; 10; 10; 7; 15 – 42
MAZAMA; 4; 6; 12; 13 – 35
SUTHERLIN — Harlee Baker 3-7 8-15 14, Stricklin 4-13 5-6 13, Sorenson 1-2 4-4 6, Haines 2-4 0-0 5, Masterfield 0-1 2-2 2, Moser 1-1 0-0 2, Porter 0-0 0-0 0 TOTALS — 11-28 19-27 42
MAZAMA — LANDY WILLIAMS 5-15 5-6, HALL 3-9 1-6 7, LEASE 3-6 0-0 7, Sheadel 2-3 0-0 4, DeLaRosa 1-5 0-0 2, SMITH 0-7 0-4 0,
TOTALS — 14-45 6-12 35
THREE POINTS — Suth 1 ( Haines), Mazama 1 (Lease)
FOULS – Suth 15, Mazama 19
FOULED OUT : Lease
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— 1490 The Score (@KSKRTheScore) October 24, 2024