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Washington Evening Journal
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Demon girls downed at Tipton
Washington season ends in regional semifinals
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
TIPTON — The Washington girls basketball team had already reached new heights this season, securing the first over .500 record in the last six years of Demon hoops. On Wednesday, Washington tried to add a 13th win, and a berth into the Class 3A Region 5 title game.
Unfortunately for the Demons, a staunch Tipton defense tripped up Washington all night long, and the Demons fell short, losing 55-35.
Both teams came out strong on the defensive end, as Tipton held a 3-0 lead until Oaklee Sobaski tied things up on a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining in the opening period.
The final two minutes of the first quarter, however, saw Tipton finish out on an 8-0 run to lead 11-3 at the first horn.
The Tigers started finding their groove in the second quarter, putting up a game-high 19 points to lead 30-17 at the half, but Washington did stay in it after winning the third quarter, and going into the fourth down just 12, at 40-28.
That pesky Tipton defense didn’t budge, however, in the final eight minutes. Washington scored just seven points in the last period of play.
“They’re just a very athletic team,” said Washington head coach Colin Mulford. “They might not have the length at the guard position, but they have that quickness, for sure, and they have size down low.”
Sobaski led the Demons with nine points on three 3-pointers. Adalyn Long finished with eight. Ashlynn Long and Reagan Miller scored five. Vivienne Kroll had four, and both Leighton Messinger and Sarah Berdo finished with two.
It was the last game for a strong senior class that helped take Washington from a 3-win team the season before they showed up to a 12-11 campaign in Mulford’s first year as head coach.
“They raised the program from what it was,” Mulford said. “Washington didn’t have a winning record for six years, and now they have one, and that has a lot to do with the seniors.”
Tipton moved on to play at top-seeded Williamsburg in the regional final on Saturday, where Williamsburg would roll on to state with a 45-28 victory.
