Seniors help lead Wildcats to win in finale | Girls basketball

A rugged season ended on a positive note for the Oak Harbor High School girls basketball team as it dumped visiting Marysville Getchell 45-33 in the Wildcats' season finale Thursday, Feb. 2.

By Jim Waller • February 3, 2012 11:49 am
Oak Harbor's Dominique Jackson fights through the defense of Marysville Getchell's Rachael Lefstad (center) and Brianna Lloyd-Bennett.
Oak Harbor's Dominique Jackson fights through the defense of Marysville Getchell's Rachael Lefstad (center) and Brianna Lloyd-Bennett.

A rugged season ended on a positive note for the Oak Harbor High School girls basketball team as it dumped visiting Marysville Getchell 45-33 in the Wildcats’ season finale Thursday, Feb. 2.

Oak Harbor (2-14, 3-17) earned its second conference win, both over the Chargers, with the victory. Getchell (0-15, 0-19) has one more game with Mountlake Terrace to pick up its first win.

Wildcat coach Trisha Clayville said the goals going into the game were “to get the seniors a lot of playing time and to win.” Oak Harbor hit both marks.

Clayville started five of her six seniors, and although four are normally reserves, the group, directed by point guard Erika Flores, jumped to an 8-2 lead. After Rayan Russell started the scoring, Lia Pantoleon hit a free throw and a three-ball and Tatiana Cumming scored off an offensive rebound to get the Wildcats rolling.

Oak Harbor led 13-6 after the first quarter, and then, after a foul-filled second quarter, led 28-15 at the half.

The teams combined to shoot 21 free throws in the second period, and it could have been more but they missed the front end of four one-and-ones.

Senior Kaileen Burleson hit the first bucket of the second half and the Wildcats went on to lead 34-23 after three quarters.

Annie Leete led with 10 points and five steals. Russell finished with seven points and eight rebounds, and Morgan Young had seven points and three assists.

Senior Dominique Jackson had five points; Pantoleon four; and Cumming, Burleson, Marissa Lewis, Kelsey Rankin and Ciera Wiser two each.

The Wildcats forced Getchell into a poor shooting night (16 percent, 9-for-58) and 29 turnovers.

Oak Harbor shot 23 percent (15-for-66), won the rebounding battle 56-48 and committed 28 turnovers.

The teams combined for 40 fouls. Oak Harbor was 12-for-22 at the line (55 percent), MG 12-for-31 (39 percent).

Clayville said, “I thought we rebounded well, something you have to do if you do not have a good shooting percentage.”

She said she liked the progress of her team over the season: “We are much better now than when we played them the first time.”