I like high school basketball because the kids play with so much heart. Here's new kid that comes off the bench to score 25 of 41 total point:
First-Year, Freshman-Fueled Kingston Girls Going to the State 2A Dance
By Jeff Graham
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Tacoma
Kingston's Sophia Baetz stood in the middle of a crowded circle as cheerleaders, students, teammates and family members serenaded her with chants of praise.
"She's our freshman, she's our freshman," the crowd screamed in unison.
In the most important game of the season for the Buccaneers' first-year girls basketball program, it was the youngest player on the floor who conjured up a game for the ages.
Baetz scored 25 points off the bench as Kingston earned a state playoff berth by beating Foster, 41-38, in the Class 2A West Central District playoffs.
By knocking off Sequim and Foster on back-to-back nights, Kingston (15-8) claimed a No. 2 seed into next week's state tournament, which begins Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome.
"It's such a good feeling to know that we set this goal at the beginning of the season and to reach it just feels amazing," Baetz said.
The steely-nerved freshman, who scored 19 points in the second half, deserved more than her share of thanks.
"I've got her for three more years — I'm salivating," Kingston coach Kevin Strozier said. "I've got to remind myself sometimes that she's a freshman."
The leading-scorer for the Buccaneers during the regular season, Baetz didn't play like a first-year player against Foster (14-8), which beat the Buccaneers 48-44 in Wednesday's second round.
With the Buccaneers trailing 22-16 at halftime, Baetz changed the course of the game in the second half. She had 11 points in the final 4:25 of the third quarter, three times converting steals into layups to help put Kingston up 31-27 at the end of three.
Early in the fourth quarter, Baetz's second three-point play of the game gave Kingston its largest lead at 36-29.
But the Bulldogs would eventually regain the lead at 37-36 on a free throw by Jasmine Horton with less than a minute remaining.
After a four-minute scoring drought, Baetz put the Buccaneers back in the lead for good by hitting two free throws on consecutive possessions, giving Kingston a 40-37 lead.
Foster missed on its next trip down court, forcing the team to foul Kingston sophomore guard Laura Wicklein.
Although Wicklein missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Baetz alertly pounced on the rebound and drew a foul. She hit one of two free throws to give Kingston a 41-37 lead with 12 seconds left.
Baetz went 9-for-10 from the line in the second half, showing poise beyond her years.
"I don't feel like a ninth-grader at all," Baetz said.
Kingston's lead would stand as Foster missed its next three field goal attempts. Despite getting to the charity stripe twice in the closing seconds, the Bulldogs hit only one of their four foul shots.
As the buzzer sounded, Strozier spun in circles, pumping his fist at the thought he'd be returning to the state tournament for the second time in three years.
"Unbelievable job from every person on this team. I'm just proud of them," said Strozier, who coached Lincoln to the state finals two seasons ago. "They've worked hard for this. They took a lot of yelling and screaming and me getting on their case. It paid off."
The coach's excitement carried on over into the team's locker room, where he shouted "to the dance, to the dance, baby."
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"I didn't care what she didn't 'low--I would boogie-woogie anyhow" John Lee Hooker
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