Brooklyn Coe shows her excitement after draining another three. She was 5 for 7 from deep. Photo by: Campea Photography
Four quarters of basketball stood between the Deer Park Lady Stags and a historic first state basketball tournament trophy Thursday evening at the Yakima Valley Sundome against Cashmere in state quarterfinals.
Three-pointers on two of their first three possessions set the tone quickly for the Northeast District back-to-back champions. Propelled by the quick start, the Lady Stags led 19-8 after one quarter over the Caribou Trail League champions.
Brooklyn Coe made a triple, her second of five on the evening, and two Emma Bryant scores made the lead 28-10. Two more deep threes from Coe and an Ashlan Bryant steal and score made the halftime margin 36-15.
The second half opened with more pressure defense, forcing Bulldogs turnovers and fueling an 11-3 run as the lead grew to 47-18 and 54-28 after three quarters.
The final quarter saw all 12 players on the Lady Stags roster see the floor in the trophy sealing 68-38 triumph. Ashlan Bryant had 19 points and dished out five assists. Sister Emma had 17 and six rebounds. Coe would do all of her damage from beyond the three-point line, connecting five times, matching her total from the 2023 state matchup with the Bulldogs. Raigan Coolbaugh would add ten points as the fourth double figures scorer.
With their first-ever state trophy already in hand, next up is their third consecutive 9pm tip, this time seeking a state title game appearance against Lynden Christian.
