AUBURN - Patience rarely goes unrewarded.
Exercising more than a trace of patience, the Mount Rainier girls basketball pulled away from a close game to put the state of the Union Titans into dire straits in a 53-38 semi-final win of the Class 4A West Central/Southwest Washington bi-district tournament at Auburn High School on Saturday, Feb. 16.
"Neither team got going," said Ram head coach Bob Bolam. "I told the girls at halftime to be more patient and get better shots. The other team played physical and we had to get used to it. We played good defense and finally got going."
Mired in a close 32-27 lead with 3:18 left in the third quarter against the unheralded Titans, the Rams (23-1) began to kick away their opposition with more judicious choices and an opponent-dehydrating defense to go on a 9-0 run that extended their lead to 41-29 as 5:48 remained in the fourth quarter. The SWW No. 1 seeded Union forces were unable to climb Mount Rainier thereafter.
Abetted by the routes to the basket attacks by the defense, Brittany and Jordan McPhee scored eight of the nine points in the surge. Two baskets by Brittany sandwiched around a pair of Jordan free throws rocketed the dominance to a game-high 18 points at 47-29 as Mount Rainier sealed its bid for the bi-district championship game on Presidents Day, Feb. 18, at the ShoWare Center in Kent where it will face more formidable forms of Titans.
Todd Beamer of Federal Way loomed large on the horizon as the title opponent. Beamer dropped the 57-56 SPSL championship match to the Rams on Feb. 7 at the ShoWare Center.
"We're more prepared for their speed and height this time," Bolam confidently concluded.
Brittany McPhee systematically scored 32 Mount Rainier points with many of the assists coming from twin sister Jordan who scored 13 points.
Jessica Chapman led Union with 13 points.