6 hours Ago By Will Denner
CAMAS — When Myla Larry’s 3-pointer swished through the net with two minutes left to play Friday, giving the Union girls basketball team a 21-point lead over Camas, a realization hit home for Brooklynn Haywood. “That’s when I knew we won it,” said Haywood, a junior. Here were the Titans, already riding high after beating the Papermakers one night earlier at home to snap an eight-game losing streak to their rivals.
But to back up that result by winning the rubber match on Camas’ home floor carried extra meaning. The final seconds ticked off the clock, the Union student section rushed the floor, and the emotions began to sink in for Union players and coaches as they celebrated a 76-54 win. “When those seconds were dwindling down, I just started crying.
It was just a bunch of happy tears. It was really overwhelming,” Haywood said. “Just super proud of my team.
” “A lot of emotion in those last couple seconds. I’m just so glad we got the win,” Larry added. Combined with Thursday’s 68-43 win, Union (16-2, 4-1) overtook Camas (15-5, 4-2) for first place in the 4A Greater St.
Helens League standings. With two regular-season games left, the Titans control their own destiny for a league title. A little more than 24 hours after their previous meeting, Union faced a different wrinkle with return of Camas seniors (and leading scorers) Keirra Thompson and Sophie Buzzard, both of whom missed Thursday’s game with injuries.
Fortunately for Union coach Gary Mills and the Titans, they already had a game plan in place from the day before that was scratched when they learned Thompson and Buzzard would sit. Mills took a picture of the whiteboard Thursday night and transported it to Camas to use Friday. “We had great prep for this, I liked our game plan (and) I liked how last night gave us confidence,” Mills said.
“Sure, they were missing a couple of their better players, but somehow, it gave us some confidence that we could do the same thing. I just felt like it didn’t matter who they suited up tonight, that we could find a way to get it done.” With Union intent on doubling Camas star point guard Thompson, who finished with 12 points, Buzzard (21 points) had the hot hand early to spot Camas a lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
The Titans led from the closing seconds of the first quarter onward when Addy Eisfeldt hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to break a 15-15 tie. Union took a 33-27 lead into halftime, with Janessa Chatman (13 points) and Jalise Chatman (12 points) combining to score 12 of the Titans’ 15 points in the second quarter. The third quarter was where the Titans made their move.
Their defense held Camas to one field goal over four-and-a-half minutes while building a double-digit lead. Leah Samuel, who gave Union quality minutes off the bench, hit a 3-pointer to put Union ahead 42-30. Then came Haywood, Union’s leading scorer with 23 points, hitting two clutch 3-pointers to put Union ahead 55-37 with a minute left in the third.
“I thought she was great tonight at letting the game come to her at about the time that Camas started to pay attention to our other players a little bit,” Mills said. “Boom, she got loose, and we’re really tough when we’ve got her doing her thing and then other people (are) chiming in too.” “I knew that if we came out punching in the third quarter, we were going to be just fine,” Haywood added.
“They obviously had two, three people on me, they have to do that, so when they did that, I trusted my teammates. Once they started hitting and (Camas) had to adjust to that, then I started going.” Larry hit a baseline jumper to close a 24-13 quarter for the Titans, then started the fourth with a steal on a cross-court pass which the sophomore took all the way for a layup.
In addition to 17 points, Larry had seven rebounds and four steals. “We were just playing off each other,” Larry said, “and when Brooklynn was able to go off, it was just a much better game for everyone.” A moment like Friday had been years in the making after the Titans came up on the short end of the last two 4A GSHL titles to Camas.
The feeling of seeing their hard work rewarded with two important wins is something players and coaches can carry forward. “We’ve gone through a lot this season, a lot of obstacles,” Haywood said, “so beating them on their court, especially after that first game (Jan. 10) when it was a little rough for us .
.. it meant a lot.
” UNION 76, CAMAS 54 UNION — Carli Christensen 0, Myla Larry 17, Janessa Chatman 13, Leah Samuel 7, Taylor McCullough 0, Addy Eisfeldt 4, Brooklynn Haywood 23, Jalise Chatman 12. Totals 28 (11) 9-12 76. CAMAS — De’Chaiya Gentle 6, Sophie Buzzard 21, Baylie Farra 2, Lauren Hood 13, Keirra Thompson 12, Eliana Gibson 0, Lila McCarthy 0, Isla Lucero 0.
Totals 20 (10) 4-5 54. Union 18 15 24 19—76 Camas 15 12 13 14—54.
