The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA - The WP Lady Cardinals ended their dreams of a state title with a 44-50 loss to the Riverside Christian Crusaders last Saturday night, leaving the Cardinals with a 19-5 season record.

The Cardinals got off to a hot start in the game Saturday when Taylor Doepker connected with Ronnie Hulce at the top of key who put the ball through the hoop for the first WP bucket.

WP's Dionna Baker then ripped down a defensive rebound that she dished off to Kristin Potter who drove down the court for a Cardinal lay-in before the Crusaders could answer with a basket of their own.

The Crusaders nailed a three-pointer and sank a free throw to take the lead, but Baker tied things up at six with a put back. Although the Cardinals were crashing the boards with a vengeance, their shooting went cold while being mauled underneath the hoop and the Crusaders took back the lead on an 8-0 run.

The Cardinals broke the streak when Doepker once again found Hulce in the key for a Cardinal bucket, but another 8-0 run from the Crusaders left the big red birds down, 21-8, after the first quarter.

Baker got things rolling in the second quarter for the Cards with a post-bank shot for two, but WP's feisty little Potter was called for her second foul and had to warm the bench while Kayla Huxoll took her place.

Huxoll got right down to business with a steal that she dumped off to Hulce who laid it in for two. The Cardinals scored again when Hulce worked the ball inside to Baker down low to narrow the Crusaders' lead, 14-23.

Baker followed that up with a defensive rebound that she took coast-to-coast for two, but the Crusaders answered that with a basket of their own.

Baker continued to rip down defensive rebounds pushing the ball down the floor, but the Cardinals couldn't convert on their end and the Crusaders put up six unanswered points.

With just less than one minute left in the half, WP's Krystal Harris put one in from downtown and teammate Chelsey Brannock found Hulce inside for another Cardinal bucket.

The Crusaders answered the Cards and WP's Harris had just enough time to throw up another threepointer, but it banked of the rim and the Cardinals went into the locker room down, 23-31.

WP's Harris started off the second half with an inbounds pass from underneath the hoop for a Cardinal basket and Baker worked her mojo inside fighting and pushing her way for another WP basket drawing a crusader foul along the way. Baker made her free throw to tighten the gap, 30-36, with 3 minutes left in the third.

The Cardinals' defense continued to work hard holding the Crusaders to just nine third-quarter points, but their shooting remained a little off the mark and the Cardinals were down, 30-40, going into the final quarter.

The Crusaders were first to score on a free throw, but the Cardinals put up five unanswered points with a free throw from Baker, a put back from Hulce, and another post shot from Baker.

The Cardinals turned up their speed and began to put a little hurting on the Crusaders with a streak of defensive rebounds that began a stream of scoring with another put back from Baker. Hulce followed that up with a defensive rebound that she drove the length of the floor and dumped off to Harris who sank a bucket for two. Baker continued to score for the Cardinals by driving her defensive rebound all the way for two to tie things up at 42 with 4:49 left in the game.

The Cards took the lead when Potter ripped down another defensive rebound going all out for another Cardinal layup to take the lead, but the big red birds couldn't buy a bucket the last few minutes while the Crusaders landed free throw after free throw to hand the Cardinals a 50-44 loss.

" I was proud as heck at the way our girls came back," said WP head coach Jerry Baker. " We really started to show our speed."

If only the Cardinals speed would have dominated the first quarter they may not of had to fight back from a 13 point first quarter deficit.

" We didn't capitalize when we needed to," said Baker. "We had our chances and the momentum but we couldn't hold onto the ball."

The Cardinals suffered from 19 turnovers but outrebounded the Crusaders,

57-49.

The Cardinals will say goodbye to seven seniors Baker, Potter, Doepker, Hulce, Huxoll, and Hailey Goenen. "It's a great group of girls," said Baker. "It was a fun and satisfying season."

WP vs Riverside Christian 44-50

WP 8 15 7 14 - 44

RC 21 10 9 10 - 50

Baker 20 pts 16 reb

Hulce 8 pts

Harris 7 pts

Potter 4 pts

Doepker 4 pts

Huxoll 1 pt