Joella Posini (11) attacks the basket against Elma on Feb. 13. CHS beat Elma 44-43 to move on to the second round of the 1A District 4 playoffs.Zach Thummel photo
Joella Posini (11) attacks the basket against Elma on Feb. 13. CHS beat Elma 44-43 to move on to the second round of the 1A District 4 playoffs.Zach Thummel photo
WHITE SALMON — The Columbia High School girls basketball team took down Elma High School 44-43 in a first-round WIAA Class 1A District 4 playoff game on Feb. 13 in Miller Gymnasium.
The Bruins (13-5), led by Head Coach Justin Frazier, battled back and forth with the Eagles (6-10) all night, trading several lead changes throughout.
“We had to grind tonight,” Frazier said after the game. “Our shots weren’t falling. We really had to work to get quality shots. That was a good team. They had the length on us. So, we just had to fight through it. We didn’t execute as well as we normally do on offense. Maybe that’s because we’ve had a week off, but it was nice to be at home and have that momentum.”
Next up, the Bruins face Montesano High School on Feb. 18 in a road WIAA Class 1A District 4 second-round playoff game at 6 p.m. in Montesano.
“They (Montesano) are a tough team,” added Frazier. “They’re going to put a lot of pressure on us, but we’re hoping that we’ll be able to compete in that. Going up there is always a tough place to play, so we’re going to have to do the best we can.”
In its first-round win, CHS got out to a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Elma quickly fought back in the second period to build a 19-14 halftime lead. The Bruins clawed back to regain the lead at 27-25 with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.
Things got chippy in the fourth quarter, with both teams trading technical fouls late. The Bruins got the final shot to fall with 2:24 left to play as Joella Posini nailed a mid-range jump shot to make it 44-43 Bruins. That’s when both teams went cold for the remainder of the fourth quarter, not getting a single shot to fall.
Posini was very efficient for the Bruins, leading the team in scoring and rebounding with 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists and five steals on the night. Posini was 6 for 12 from inside the 3-point line.
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