It wasn't pretty, but the Wood River High School girls' basketball team took a big first step in the 2010 Great Basin Conference tournament Tuesday night—staging and winning its first-ever 4A tourney game and also tying the school record for single-season wins.
Slow-starting Wood River (16-5), skunked for the first 7:59 of the game, came to life in the final three quarters and beat the Burley Bobcats 37-27 in the GBC tourney first round. The Wolverines trailed 8-2 at the break but outscored Burley 35-19 in the final three periods.
Sophomore Kaitana Martinez (11 points) swished three clutch 3-pointers, while sophomore post Haylee Thompson sparked Wood River's comeback with 7 of her 9 points in the second quarter. Another contributor was junior Allie Hesteness (7 points).
Coach Mendy Benson said, "A huge part of our success was our bench. We've discovered that when our bench contributes around 15 points, we're successful, and when they don't we're not. Haylee and Allie combined for a huge 16 points. Without them, it would have been an even greater struggle."
Behind 8-0 early and 18-11 in the second, Wood River rallied when Thompson scored her third bucket of the second period on a Grace Lagodich pass, senior Alex Lindbloom drilled a 15-footer, from Martinez, and Martinez made her first trey for a 20-18 halftime deficit.
Benson said, "Offensively, I think we came out a little tight. We just missed some easy open shots and had some silly turnovers. Once we settled down, I thought we were fine."
On defense, Wood River tightened up with a fast-shifting zone alignment after half. Burley (10-11) made only two field goals and seven total points, to Wood River's 19. Said Benson, "They scored less in the second half than they did in the first quarter."
The victory, Wood River's fourth straight, sent the Wolverines on the road against two-time defending Great Basin Conference champ Jerome (19-1) Thursday. In another winner bracket game Thursday night, second-seeded Minico (13-7) hosted Twin Falls (14-7).
Statistics were Martinez 11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists; Monica Garceau 4 points, 9 boards, 2 steals; Hesteness 7 points and 3 rebounds; Cheyenne Swanson 4 points and 3 boards; Lindbloom 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists; Tristin Bowers 4 steals; Lagodich 3 assists; and Jade Glenn 1 assist.
Burley senior Teresa Wayment had 9 points and 5 assists.
With a loss to Jerome, Wood River will host another tourney game, Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. against the winner of Thursday's Burley-Canyon Ridge loser-out game. A win over Jerome would put Wood River on the road against the Minico-Twin winner Saturday night.
Benson said, "Jerome is Jerome, but hopefully we'll just give them four quarters of tenacious defense."
Wood River sophomore forward Cheyenne Swanson scores past Shawna Pace of Burley during Tuesday’s 37-27 Wolverine tournament win on the Hailey hardwoods.
