Oak Harbor squeaks by M-P, sets up tough run to playoffs | Girls basketball

Keeping its postseason hopes alive (barely), the Oak Harbor High School girls basketball game held on to defeat visiting Marysville-Pilchuck 43-42 Friday, Feb. 5.

Keeping its postseason hopes alive (barely), the Oak Harbor High School girls basketball game held on to defeat visiting Marysville-Pilchuck 43-42 Friday, Feb. 5.

To reach the district tournament, the Wildcats will need to win three games in three days for the right to play on the fifth day against the state’s second-ranked team, Lynnwood (11-0, 19-0).

First, Oak Harbor (2-7, 6-13) has to win at Everett (3-7, 6-14) at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the final regular-season game.

A win there will land the Wildcats in a tie for fourth-place with Everett, forcing a tie-breaker the next night, Wednesday, in Oak Harbor featuring the same two teams.

That winner will play the fourth-place team from the Wesco South at the North school Thursday to determine the eighth and final seed in the district tournament.

District starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, in Lynnwood.

Oak Harbor built a nine-point lead, 40-31, with less than two minutes left in its win over Marysville-Pilchuck, then withstood a turnover, two fouls and going 2-for-7 at the foul line to eke out the victory.

The Tomahawks dropped in two three-balls and converted a three-point play during the closing run; the latter coming with 2.8 seconds left to set the final score.

The Oak Harbor seniors (Lexi Jones, Matti Miesle, Janae Payne, Deja Bunch and AnnaBelle Whitefoot) were honored before the game and inserted into the starting lineup by coach Jon Atkins.

Payne scored four points and Bryn Langrock came off the bench to hit two three-pointers, giving Oak Harbor a 12-6 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

All eight of the Wildcats’ second-quarter points came at the foul line, and Oak Harbor took a 20-12 lead into the locker room.

Oak Harbor still led by eight, 29-21, after three quarters.

The Wildcats pushed the lead to 12, 37-25, with 4:19 left in the game.

Oak Harbor wasn’t shaky at the foul line only during the closing moments. M-P committed 28 fouls in the game, sending the Wildcats to the stripe 44 times where they sank only 22.

The Tomahawks hit 7 of 14 after 18 Oak Harbor fouls.

Langrock scored 11 points to pace the ‘Cats. Julie Jansen had nine, Bunch eight, Payne seven, Jones four, Whitefoot two, Rashanna Graham one and Miesle one.

“I thought we played really well defensively in the first half,” Atkins said. “We gave up too many offensive rebounds in the second.”

(Left: Bryn Langrock tosses a jump pass over M-P’s Olivia Lee in Friday’s game.

Below: Matti Miesle hustles to cut off the Tomahawks’ Dominique Jenkins.

Photos by Jim Waller.)