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Demon girls defeated in regular season finale
Washington falls to Burlington in final game before postseason play
BURLINGTON — Washington girls basketball saw its regular season come to an end on Tuesday night with a Southeast Conference loss to the Grayhounds of Burlington, 69-36.
The Demons hung right with the Grayhounds early, but a lopsided third quarter all but changed the trajectory of the game.
At the start of the third period, Washington faced just a nine-point deficit, 35-26, but by the end of the frame that deficit grew to 33. The Demons were held to just two points over the course of four and a half minutes in the third. Burlington dropped in 18 unanswered before Washington’s lone bucket.
“They were making shots and we were not,” Washington head coach Shannon Rugg said. “They just played a little better than us tonight.
In all, the Demons were held to just 10 points in the second half compared to the Grayhounds 34.
“I thought we handled their press really well until the middle of the third quarter,” Rugg said. “We just didn’t have enough patience to do what we were suppose to do. That’s what a press does, wears you down forces you into mistakes.”
In the opening stages of the conference clash, the two teams were neck and neck.
Burlington scored four unanswered to begin the game, but a three from Kendall Hinrichsen kicked off an 8-3 run by the Demons to give them a 8-7 lead to the 4:09 mark.
That would be Washington’s only lead of the evening.
Burlington regained the lead on a two and then the Grayhounds Daphne Brown shot six straight free throws to open what was a 14-9 run to the end of the quarter.
The Demon’s Addison Miller buried a three with 10 seconds left to end the run and keep Washington within four, 21-17.
Through the second, Burlington built as large as a 12 point lead. Washington closed well though, ending on a 7-4 run all of which were scored by Lauren Hinrichsen.
“I’m really proud of this group,” Rugg said. “Super proud of these seniors too. I think we’ve really took huge strides this year in this program and that’s because of those seniors being leaders and just believing.”
Hinrichsen led the Demons with 12 points in the loss. Addison Miller finished with nine. Kendall Hinrichsen ended with six. Taylor Bartholomew and Aliyah Jara each had two as well Maci Williams.
Washington drops to 8-12 with the loss and will open Class 3A Region 5 play against Davis County (9-12) in Washington on Saturday.
