Brooke Walling scored 11 of her team-leading 18 points in the first quarter to help the Falcons defeat Lincoln 67-36 Wednesday at Prairie High School. The win sends the Falcons to state for the 22nd year in a row.
After Wednesday's 31-point slashing, Prairie High School seniors Cassidy Gardner, Brooke Walling and Mallory Williams can say they never lost a basketball game on their home floor.
The Falcons are also going to state for the 22nd year in a row.
"The seniors are amazing. They're great examples on and off the court," said head coach Hala Corral. "If they're not having a good game, they're OK with that because they're getting their teammates involved. They've taught the other players it's about sharing the ball. As long as Prairie wins, everything else is OK."
Gardner, Walling and Williams led the Falcons to a 67-36 victory against the Lincoln Abes of Tacoma in the first round of the 3A district tournament. Walling finished with 18 points and five blocks, Gardner added 17 points and seven assists, and Williams collected eight points and 12 rebounds.
The Prairie girls were itching to play after a two-week break. Gardner hit a three right off the bat and Walling delivered 11 points in the first quarter.
“It’s bittersweet that this was our last home game, but we went out with a bang,” Walling said. “We were sharing the ball and deciding what’s the best shot instead of just going with OK shots.”
Lincoln responded with three 3-pointers in the second quarter. Allison Corral and Gardner answered with steals and fast breaks for points. Corral also hit two threes while Walling and Gardner were resting on the bench.
The Falcons finished the game with 24 assists as a team.
“We play for each other more than ourselves,” Gardner said. “We all talk and we’re really good friends. I think it’s really special to have that because not most teams do.”
“Our assists show that,” Williams said. “We all want to share the ball, constantly.”
“Sometimes we’re too unselfish,” Gardner added. “That’s a good thing, though. You’d rather be too unselfish than selfish.”
Prairie (20-1) faces Bethel (18-3) in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday at Puyallup High School. The winner advances to the championship game at noon Saturday.
The next step for the Falcons is to get back to the Tacoma Dome.
"We've never won a game there and we have to this year, so why not just go out and win them all," Gardner said.
"Our motto is 'all in,'" Walling added. "Everybody has to be all in and focusing every practice, every game, whether you're on the bench or on the court. If everyone gives 100 percent, we're going to do great things."
Coach Corral also wants the Falcons to enjoy the memories they are creating together.
"These girls go hard, but they're also goofy and they have a lot of fun," she said. "I don't know if that's been the case in years past. It's been too serious. These girls don't operate on serious. They like to have fun.
"I really just want them to enjoy the last two weeks of the season. This is our 22nd year going to state. Sometimes people take that for granted, but I don't know if any other program has done that. It's a big deal," Corral added. "We want them to celebrate. They're not going to remember wins and losses 20 years from now, they're going to remember experiences. Make the most of every experience you have."
Prairie boys still unstoppable in 2019
Kameron Osborn nailed a pull-up jumper with three seconds left on the clock to help the Prairie boys basketball team beat Timberline 56-54 in the quarterfinals of the 3A district tournament Wednesday in Lacey.
It was the 12th win in a row for the Falcons, who are 11-0 since the start of 2019. The Prairie boys also punched their ticket to the state tournament.
Zeke Dixson led Prairie with 16 points Wednesday, A.J. Dixson added 14 and Osborn netted 12, including the game-winner.
The Falcons (15-7) face Capital (19-2) in the semifinals of the district tournament at 7:45 p.m. Thursday at Puyallup High School. The winner advances to the championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday.
