SportsJune 17, 2021

Wallace tallies 21 points as Clarkston wins Class 2A GSL tourney title

Clarkston girls’ basketball players dump water on coach Debbie Sobotta after beating West Valley on Wednesday to win the Class 2A Greater Spokane League tournament title.
Clarkston girls’ basketball players dump water on coach Debbie Sobotta after beating West Valley on Wednesday to win the Class 2A Greater Spokane League tournament title.Pete Caster/Tribune
After stealing the ball from West Valley’s Tamia Skinner, Clarkston guard Ashlyn Wallace tiptoes the sideline as cheerleaders look on as she heads upcourt during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Class 2A Greater Spokane League girls’ basketball championship game. Wallace finished with 21 points, seven assists and seven steals in the Bantams’ win.
After stealing the ball from West Valley’s Tamia Skinner, Clarkston guard Ashlyn Wallace tiptoes the sideline as cheerleaders look on as she heads upcourt during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Class 2A Greater Spokane League girls’ basketball championship game. Wallace finished with 21 points, seven assists and seven steals in the Bantams’ win.Pete Caster/Tribune
Clarkston’s Erika Pickett attempts a shot in the paint as West Valley’s Tamia Skinner defends during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston’s Erika Pickett attempts a shot in the paint as West Valley’s Tamia Skinner defends during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston head coach Debbie Sobotta hugs senior Sam Chatfield after she gets subbed out in the final minutes of the fourth quarter of the district title game against West Valley on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston head coach Debbie Sobotta hugs senior Sam Chatfield after she gets subbed out in the final minutes of the fourth quarter of the district title game against West Valley on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Kendall Wallace attempts a 3-pointer as West Valley’s Abbie Sicilia defends as time runs out in the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston. Wallace made the buzzer-beating shot to end the first half.
Clarkston’s Kendall Wallace attempts a 3-pointer as West Valley’s Abbie Sicilia defends as time runs out in the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston. Wallace made the buzzer-beating shot to end the first half.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Maggie Ogden goes in for a layup past a pair of West Valley defenders during the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston’s Maggie Ogden goes in for a layup past a pair of West Valley defenders during the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston Sam Chatfield fights for an offensive rebound with West Valley’s Abbie Sicilia during the first quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston Sam Chatfield fights for an offensive rebound with West Valley’s Abbie Sicilia during the first quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace attempts a layup as West Valley’s Abbie Sicilia defends during the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston. Wallace made the shot and was fouled on the play.
Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace attempts a layup as West Valley’s Abbie Sicilia defends during the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston. Wallace made the shot and was fouled on the play.Pete Caster
After stealing the ball away from West Valley’s Tamia Skinner, Clarkston guard Ashlyn Wallace tip-toes the sideline as cheerleaders look on as she heads up court during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
After stealing the ball away from West Valley’s Tamia Skinner, Clarkston guard Ashlyn Wallace tip-toes the sideline as cheerleaders look on as she heads up court during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Jacey Hernandez goes in for a layup as West Valley’s Aliyah Henry defends during the first quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston’s Jacey Hernandez goes in for a layup as West Valley’s Aliyah Henry defends during the first quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
After Clarkston beat West Valley, 73-35, to win the district title and the nets were cut down and coach was soaked with water the parents served up championship cake to all players and fans who stayed around on Wednesday in Clarkston.
After Clarkston beat West Valley, 73-35, to win the district title and the nets were cut down and coach was soaked with water the parents served up championship cake to all players and fans who stayed around on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
After stealing the ball away from West Valley’s Chloe DeHaro (left), Clarkston’s Kendall Wallace races up court on a fast break during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
After stealing the ball away from West Valley’s Chloe DeHaro (left), Clarkston’s Kendall Wallace races up court on a fast break during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace swipes at the ball as West Valley’s Rylan Palmer picks up her dribble during the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace swipes at the ball as West Valley’s Rylan Palmer picks up her dribble during the second quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Jacey Hernandez blocks the shot of West Valley’s Rylan Palmer during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston’s Jacey Hernandez blocks the shot of West Valley’s Rylan Palmer during the fourth quarter of the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace hugs teammate and fellow senior Jacey Hernandez as she gets a standing ovation after being subbed out in the fourth quarter of the district title game against West Valley on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace hugs teammate and fellow senior Jacey Hernandez as she gets a standing ovation after being subbed out in the fourth quarter of the district title game against West Valley on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster
Clarkston players put on championship t-shirts after beating West Valley, 73-35, to win the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.
Clarkston players put on championship t-shirts after beating West Valley, 73-35, to win the district title game on Wednesday in Clarkston.Pete Caster

The performance wasn’t perfect. But the season was.

Using active defense to offset early offensive problems, Ashlyn Wallace and the rest of the Clarkston girls’ basketball team whipped West Valley 73-35 on Wednesday at Kramer Gym to cap an undefeated basketball season that left them asking, “What if?”

As in, “What if there’d been no coronavirus pandemic and Washington had staged a state tournament after all?”

The Bantams will never know, but they were happy to finish 14-0 in front of a home crowd and be crowned the champion of the Class 2A Greater Spokane League’s “culminating event.”

“This team went through so much, not knowing if we’re going to get a season,” said Wallace, who collected 21 points, seven assists and seven steals. “When we finally did, we performed the best we could.”

The Bantams shot 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the first quarter, but used ball-hawking defense to hold the Eagles scoreless until a minute into the second period. So Clarkston led 16-0 after a quarter, 27-9 at halftime and 37-9 after an decisive blitz early in the third.

Longtime Clarkston coach Debbie Sobotta was asked if, in lieu of a state tournament, she got the closure she was seeking.

“I have to take it, don’t I?” she said. “I have no choice. We got what we wanted out of this very unusual season.”

Wallace, a senior guard committed to the University of Idaho, shook off a slow start to drill four 3-pointers in the second half. Her freshman sister, Kendall, added 11 points and five steals, beating the halftime buzzer with a 22-footer to cap a snazzy Bantam display of around-the-horn passing.

Jacey Hernandez played CHS’ sharpest offensive basketball in the first half and wound up with 14 points, and Alyssa Whittle came off the bench for 11.

Clarkston posts had a quiet night offensively but Maggie Ogden tallied eight rebounds and four assists and Erika Pickett added seven boards.

Chloe DeHaro scored 12 points for West Valley of the Spokane area, whose only blemishes in a 10-2 season came against Clarkston.

Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM

“I was telling my girls in the locker room, I feel bad for them (the Bantams) because this team would make a good run at State,” Eagles coach Rick Jones said. “They would go deep, because they’ve got shooters everywhere. That’s a very good ballclub.”

Given Clarkston’s usual outside accuracy, the Eagles’ zone defense might have seem counterintuitive. But it lured the Bantams into indiscretions.

“I thought West Valley was very well-prepared — they always are,” Sobotta said. “They’re very well-coached. I just feel like we weren’t sharp enough at times in taking care of the ball.”

Even so, the lopsided final score was typical of the 2021 season for the Bantams, who outscored the opposition by an average of 43 points per game.

“It’s not an easy thing to go undefeated in any season,” Sobotta said, “and they pulled it off.”

WEST VALLEY (10-2)

Emma Price 0 0-0 0, Chloe DeHaro 4 4-4 12, Hannah Hawk 1 0-0 3, Tamia Skinner 0 0-0 0, Molly Fisher 0 0-0 0, Madison Moloney 1 0-0 3, Abbie Sicilia 3 2-3 8, Madison Carr 2 0-2 4, Rylen Palmer 0 0-0 0, Aliyah Henry 2 0-2 5. Totals 13 6-11 35.

CLARKSTON (14-0)

Kendall Wallace 4 0-0 11, Ashlyn Wallace 7 3-3 21, Avah Griner 0 0-0 0, Jacey Hernandez 5 1-1 14, Maggie Ogden 1 0-0 2, Alahondra Perez 0 0-1 0, Erika Pickett 2 0-0 4, Eloise Teasley 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Whittle 5 0-0 11, Samantha Chatfield 5 0-0 10. Totals 29 4-4 73.

West Valley 0 9 12 14—35

Clarkston 16 11 22 24—73

3-point goals — Hawk, Henry, K. Wallace 3, A. Wallace 4, Hernandez 3, Whittle.

Grummert may be contacted at daleg@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2290.

Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM