Bulldogs' perfect season ends with championship

SPOKANE -After falling to Warden in last year's Girls 2B State Basketball Tournament championship game, No.1 Colfax returned to the Spokane Arena seeking redemption. In the title game, Colfax defeated No. 2 Okanogan 59-52, Saturday, March 4.

Colfax ended its championship season with a perfect 28-0 record.

On paper, the game was a toss-up as the Colfax Bulldogs and Okanogan Bulldogs combined for a 52-1 record. Okanogan's only blemish on the season occurred in a loss to 1A Cashmere on Jan. 28.

Early in the game, Colfax looked to be the superior team as senior Harper Booth dished out three assists to sophomore Brynn McGaughy, who looked unstoppable from her position in the paint. McGaughy scored eight of her team's first 10 points.

Okanogan, shooting a dismal 17% from the field, could not keep pace with Colfax, which led 17-7 after one quarter.

In the second frame, sophomore Hailey Demler caught fire. In one minute and 30 seconds, she scored nine points on two 3-point shots and two free throws.

Her shooting touch rubbed off on Booth and McGaughy who each followed with 3-point bombs from the top of the key.

Not to be outdone, Demler nailed another one from behind the arc to give her 12 points in the quarter, which pushed Colfax's lead to 37-18 at halftime.

After intermission, and before all the fans settled back into their seats, McGaughy picked up fouls two and three to give Okanogan a glimmer of hope. She left the game for three minutes, during which Okanogan narrowed the gap from 19 to 14 points.

Senior Jaisha Gibb, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, took over the game. Twice in the last two minutes of the quarter she stole the ball and went coast-to-coast scoring on successive drives to the basket.

She ended the quarter with a downtown 3-point shot that gave Colfax a 51-35 lead.

Eight minutes was all that stood between Colfax and the championship trophy.

Less than two minutes into the last quarter, McGaughy picked up her fourth foul, sending her back to the bench.

During her three-minute ride on the pines, Okanogan junior Aleena Lafferty hit two-3-point shots and senior Aleris Jones made a basket to reduce the 16-point deficit to eight points.

McGaughy returned to the game with 2:53 remaining. Within 15 seconds, she picked up her fifth foul while attempting to block a shot under the basket.

With 2:41 remaining in the game, she was disqualified and went to the bench to be a spectator. The score was 53-46.

Lafferty and Jones each hit 3-points shots to bring Okanogan within two points, 54-52. Within a span of three minutes, Colfax's 16-point lead evaporated to two.

With just over a minute to play in the game, junior Lauryn York was fouled and converted a free throw to give Colfax a three point lead, 55-52.

In the remaining frantic seconds, Okanogan's dream of a comeback ended when they carelessly threw the ball out of bounds on their last two possessions.

Gibbs secured her team their first state championship since 2018 by sinking two free throws to end the game. The final score was 59-52.

McGaughy scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

"Once that buzzer went off, I was so happy," she said. "This team deserved it. Jaisha Gibb, she popped off. Hailey Demler... the whole team popped off."

Demler matched McGaughy's 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

"It was such an amazing game," she said. "We got in a little foul trouble, but we pushed through it. Everyone played their role and because of it, we came out with a win."

Gibb's strong second half netted her 12 points, Booth scored six and York rounded out the scoring with three.

"That was so surreal," York said. "It's what we've been working for forever. It's just awesome that we met our goal."

After hugging each of her players, Colfax head coach Jordan Holmes watched her team celebrate.

"I look at these 12 kids like they're my daughters," she said. "I get my mom eyes out and get all teary eyed because I'm so proud of them for rising up and being overcomers."

"That game could have gone a different way when they made that run. Without Brynn in, to watch those other five kids fight and survive and to play to win, I couldn't be more proud of them. They are so deserving of this moment. And how cool is it I get to be a small part of that?"

Lafferty led Okanogan in scoring with 17 points. Jones had 16 and Jacey Boesel added 10.

Okanogan ended the season with a record of 25-2.