In a back-and-forth contest, the Lummi Nation girls basketball team couldn’t hold off the stubborn Nannies of Pateros and lost, 51-47, in the Class 1B state tournament Wednesday afternoon at the Spokane Arena.
The loss ends the season for the ninth-seeded Lady Blackhawks, who finished 23-5 on the year.
“It was a very tough loss,” said Lummi Nation coach David James. “The girls fought hard but came up short.”
The two teams met in early January with Pateros squeaking out a 48-46 win. Wednesday’s clash was just as close with the two teams trading the lead 12 times and being tied seven times.
Lummi Nation led by eight late in the second quarter and held a one-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. But their own foul trouble and the Nannies’ foul shooting took its toll as the Blackhawks shot only one free throw to Pateros’s 12 in the second half.
Junior Ailina Rabang led Lummi with 16 points, including four of their Blackhawks seven 3-pointers. Sophomore Jemma James had 15 points and two more 3-pointers. Juniors Kashlyn Mack and Brianna Metteba had 11 and 5 points, respectively, as only those four scored for the Lady Blackhawks.
Freshman Laraya Dennis had a team-high 8 rebounds for Lummi, and Rabang added 7 boards. Rabang also was awarded the sportsmanship medallion for Lummi Nation.
Eighth-seeded Pateros improved to 20-6 and advances to Thursday’s quarterfinal against No.2 Waterville-Mansfield.
Pateros 51, Lummi Nation 47
Lummi Nation 12 14 11 10—47
Pateros 13 10 13 15—51
Lummi Nation: Jemma James 15, Laraya Dennis, Ailina Rabang 16, Brianna Metteba 5, Kashlyn Mack 11, Celestine James.
Pateros: Giselle Ceniceros, Steve Simmons 17, Wrandie Bowen 7, Coco Cronin, Lex Vargas 2, Nevelyn Wilson 12, Addison Henton 9.
CLASS 1B GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT
At Spokane Arena
Wednesday, March 5
Sunnyside Christian 47, Inchelium 45 (loser out)
Oakesdale 52, Pe Ell 38 (loser out)
Yakama Tribal 45, Wilbur-Creston-Keller 43 (loser out)
Pateros 51, Lummi Nation 47 (loser out)
Thursday, March 6
#11Sunnyside Christian (21-5) vs. #5 Wellpinit (22-2), 9 a.m.
#10 Oakesdale (20-5) vs. #1 Neah Bay (21-1), 10:30 a.m.
#4 Yakama Tribal (19-5) vs. #3 Garfield-Palouse (22-2), 12:15 p.m.
#8 Pateros (20-6) vs. #2 Waterville-Mansfield (21-3), 2 p.m.
Friday, March 7
Consolation game, 9 a.m.. (loser out)
Consolation game, 10:30 a.m. (loser out)
Semifinal, 3:45 p.m.
Semifinal, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 8
Consolation game, 8 a.m. (winner fourth, loser sixth)
Consolation final, 11:15 a.m. (winner third, loser fifth)
Championship game, 3 p.m. (winner first, loser second)
