Blazers survive first round scare

The Centralia College Lady Blazers narrowly avoided a first round upset to Edmonds Community College picking up a 60-57 victory over the Tritons despite an 11 point halftime deficit.

 

Both squads came out of the gates cold however Autumn Greene put the Blazers on the board first with a quick basket. Edmonds scored three points before Stevie Isaac hit a free-throw to tie the game up at 3-3 with 16 minutes to play.

 

The teams continued to go back and forth as the lead changed possession five times over the next six minutes before Greene made a shot and was fouled sending her to the line for another free-throw giving Centralia a 13-10 lead halfway through the first period.

 

Edmonds then went on a 19-6 run to close out the first half with an 11 point 29-18 lead over the favored Blazers.

 

"The first game here is always hard because the court is way bigger, the hoops are weird and we were definitely nervous," Centralia guard Courtney May said.

 

The Blazers shot a horrid 18% from the field in the first half making just seven of their 37 shot attempts. Greene led Centralia with six points in the half.

 

"It was terrible," Blazer head coach Gary Viggers said of the team's first half. "We came out soft, timid and got way behind."

 

Viggers said his team woke up after halftime and it showed as Centralia opened the half on a 7-0 scoring run to cut the Triton lead to 29-25 with just over 17 minutes remaining in play.

 

"We were playing badly and playing their game instead of ours," May said. "We came out way stronger in the second half and looked to attack and run through our offenses more."

 

With just under 15 minutes remaining it was Ali Campbell's shot off of the glass that tied the game 31-31 and free-throw that gave Centralia its first lead since the six minute mark of the first half but it didn't last long as Edmonds scored on its next possession going up 33-32.

 

The Blazers then hit three point shots on their next two time down the floor, the first by Elena Belcher and the second by Molly Erven, giving Centralia a 38-33 lead with 13 minutes to go.

 

Over the next four minutes the Blazers stretched their lead to 42-36 before Edmonds made two quick baskets and a free-throw to tie the game 42-42 with eight minutes remaining.

 

Campbell made a basket with seven minutes left in the game to give Centralia a 44-42 lead and Edmonds would not be able to get within three points of the Blazers as they lost 60-57.

 

"It wasn't pretty but we will take it," Viggers said.

 

The team made 13 of 29 shots in the second half to improve from their horrible first half shooting.

 

Campbell was a big spark in the second half as she scored all of her team high 16 points in the period while also pulling down seven rebounds.

 

"It was really good that (Ali) stepped up and started taking it up strong," May said of Campbell's second half performance. "It hel[ed us get an inside game going and made it harder for them to guard us."

 

May had a huge game scoring 12 points and leading Centralia with nine rebounds, four assists and nine steals.

 

Greene finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

 

Belcher scored eight points and Erven finished with seven as both players had five points apiece in the second half.

 

With the victory the Blazers advance in the winners bracket to face second ranked Walla Walla Community College who finished the season with a 24-1 overall record at 2p.m. March 7.

 

May said that Walla Walla has a good guard and post that they need to shut down in order to win tomorrow as well as every player on the team being ready to play.