McDowell cruises

by Pioneers in playoffs
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

MARION — It was a long shot at best. Yet it was a shot that Watauga coach Klay Anderson would take again in a second.

Watauga’s girls’ basketball team, which was swept unceremoniously during the regular season by Northwestern 4-A Conference champion McDowell, drew the Titans in the first round of the state 4-A tournament. And though McDowell made it three straight in 2008 over Watauga with a 76-65 victory, Anderson not only liked being in the state tourney, but how the Pioneers played in it.

“Let’s be honest, I may be an eternal optimist, but I feel that we are going to win every game,” Anderson said. “At the same time, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that when both teams bring their ‘A’ game, McDowell’s a better basketball team than us. They’ve been together longer, they’re coming off winning the conference tournament, they’ve been in big games and won big games. We’re working to get to that level.”

It was Watauga’s first state playoff game since 2001, when they lost at Greensboro Grimsley in the first round. The Pioneers (11-14) have not won a state playoff game since 1997 when they beat East Gaston in the sectional final.

Still, Anderson will take a playoff appearance, even if it was a loss.

“It’s disappointing to lose tonight, but you look back and realize where we’ve come, step-by-step, week-to-week, month-to-month, and to realize we were here in the state playoffs with a chance to win one game and advance, I mean half of the teams in the state lost tonight,” Anderson said. “Some of them didn’t even play because they’re not in.”

The Titans (23-3) took advantage of Watauga’s 24 fouls by hitting 28-of-40 from the foul line. McDowell’s Kurie Washington benefited the most by making 10-of 15 free throws en route to a game-high 28 points.

Ebonique Hamilton, who helped by making 8-of-11 from the foul line, finished with 16 points. Kelsea Greene added 11 points, aided by 7-of-7 shooting from the free throw line.

“You’ve got to give McDowell credit,” Anderson said. “A team that is as athletic as they are — they can steal the basketball and not foul — that’s impressive. Any time you put a good shooting team on the line like that, you’re in trouble.”

Watauga hit a respectable 10-of-14 from the foul line. Emily Pineda finished with a team-high 11 points, followed by Sarah Caldwell, who drained three 3-pointers and finished with nine points.

Overall, the Pioneers hit seven 3-pointers, but just 12 shots from 2-point range. Ashlyn Baird hit two 3-pointers and finished with eight points.

Watauga also did not help itself by turning the ball over 27 times.

McDowell pulled away from the Pioneers in the second quarter. Leading 18-13 early in the period, the Titans went on a 10-0 run, helped by a three-point play by Greene and by four Watauga turnovers.

Watauga got a spark from Ryann Jones and Caldwell, who hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Watauga to 30-19, but McDowell overcame six second-quarter turnovers and claimed a 38-23 halftime lead.

Watauga would never recover. The Titans increased their lead to 50-29 in the third quarter with a 9-0 run capped by two Washington foul shots with 3:21 left in the quarter. Baird hit a 3-pointer to shrink the Titans’ lead to 50-32, but Watauga did not get any closer than 16 points the rest of the game.

“It was like all year,” Anderson said. “We never gave up. We never quit. I walk away from this loss yeah, disappointed to lose, but at the same time we are so satisfied with knowing where we’ve come from and knowing the improvements we’ve made basically four months ago from tonight. Success isn’t always measured in wins and losses. It’s measured in the matter of improvement you’ve had day to day and I’m so proud of my girls.”

McDowell 76, Watauga 55
Watauga (11-14)
Butler 1 0-0 3, Caldwell 3 0-0 9, Baird 3 1-2 8, R. Pineda 1 2-2 4, Creed 1 0-0 2, Tesh 3 0-0 6, Jones 2 0-0 5, Mayhew 0 2-2 2, Miller 0 0-0 0, Rees 2 0-0 5, E. Pineda 3 5-8 11. Totals 19 10-14 55.
McDowell (23-3)
Maney 1 0-0 2, Greene 2 7-7 11, Ward 3 0-0 8, Washington 9 10-15 28, Gellman 2 1-2 5, Corpening 0 0-1 0, Medford 1 2-2 4, Brooks 1 0-2 2, Hamilton 4 8-1110, Gallion 0 0-0 0, Thomas 0 0-0 0, Holland 0 0-0 0, Kincaid 0 0-0 0. Mills 0 0-0 0, Webb 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 28-40 76.
Watauga 11 12 14 18 — 55
McDowell 18 20 18 20 — 76
3-point goals—Watauga 7 (Caldwell 3, Butler, Jones, Baird, Rees), McDowell 2 (Ward 2). Turnovers¸—Watauga 27, McDowell 18. Total fouls—Watauga 24, McDowell 12. Fouled out—R. Pineda. Technical fouls—None.