By JOEL HILLE
For The Beachcomber
The Vashon girls’ basketball team secured its first league victory of the season over the Charles Wright Tarriers on Friday, when they overcame a difficult second half to win 41-40 in a last-minute nail biter.
The game began with Siena Jannetty dropping a 3-pointer on Vashon’s first possession. She then made another 3-pointer just past midway of the first quarter, while Annika Hille added 4 points on two offensive rebound put-backs near the end of the quarter, and the Pirates led 12-9 after one.
Hille then made a 3-pointer to start the second quarter to take a 15-9 lead, but the Tarriers bounced back with some fast break points to tie the game at 15. However, with about 3 minutes left in the half the Pirates put together a nice scoring run that included another 3-pointer from Jannetty, a fast break basket from Eva Anderson and a basket at the buzzer from Lilly Hennessey to end the half leading 28-16.
The Tarriers mounted a comeback in the third when they converted on several fast breaks and quickly narrowed the margin to 30-24 in the first three minutes. The Pirates couldn’t find much offense to counter their opponents’ attack, and the quarter ended with the Tarriers outscoring the Pirates 16-8 to climb within 4 points at 36-32.
During the fourth quarter, both teams hit an offensive lull, but the Tarriers finally scored on two consecutive possessions to tie the score at 36 with 3:30 left in the game. The Pirates regained the lead 30 seconds later, when Natalie VanDevanter made two clutch free throws. However, the Tarriers then added a fast break lay-in and a free throw to take a 1-point lead with 1:30 left. The Pirates regained the lead again at 40-39 when Hille scored an offensive rebound put-back, but the Tarriers converted another free throw to tie the game at 40.
Both teams then traded empty possessions during the last minute, but after a Tarrier miss and a critical Pirates rebound, Jannetty was fouled on a fast break shot with 9 seconds left. She made one of two free throws to put the Pirates up 41-40. The Tarriers grabbed the rebound after the second free throw and pushed the ball up the court for a last-second shot, but the Pirates were whistled for a foul with five seconds left. Fortunately for the Pirates, the Tarriers player missed both free throws, and Anderson grabbed the rebound on the second miss to seal the win.
The Pirates were led in scoring by Jannetty with 14 points, Hille with 13, Anderson with 6 and Hennessey with 4, with Atwell and VanDevanter each adding 2. Hille also grabbed 11 rebounds, Jannetty had 9, Atwell had 8, Anderson had 5 and Hennessey, VanDevanter and Melanie Stoffer each had 2.
In the previous game on Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Cascade Christian Cougars traveled to Vashon holding a 4-0 league record and a fourth-place state ranking.
The visitors’ defense proved tough for the Pirates, and the first quarter ended with the Cougars leading, 14-6. The Pirates also had a difficult task in guarding the Cougars’ tall post players, who played a very disciplined game, working the ball inside for short shots, and the first half ended with the Cougars leading, 27-14.
In the second half, the Pirates were able to get a little more offense going, but the Cougars’ sustained scoring continued and the final score was 58-41.
The Pirates were led in scoring by Jannetty with 16 points, Hille with 15 and Kai Li Scheer with 6.
—Joel Hille is the father of a Pirate basketball player.
