PENDLETON — Manaia Wolf saved her best game for last.
The Weston-McEwen senior scored a team-high 13 points to lead the TigerScots to a 52-43 victory over Oakland on Saturday in the fourth-place game of the 2A state tournament at the Pendleton Convention Center.
“First, great finish, Oakland,” Weston-McEwen coach Jeremy Wolf said. “For us, it really did mean a lot for these girls to end their season on a high note. We had higher goals, for sure, but we’ve finished as a program better every year. They earned it and I can only be proud and happy of all of them.”
The TigerScots (25-3) opened the game with a 17-4 in the first quarter. There were no points scored in the first 2:47 of the game, then the floodgates opened.
Oakland’s Morgan Swearingen got things going with a basket at 5:13, and Brooklyn Parker evened things up a few seconds later.
Weston-McEwen then went on a 15-2 run, led by Wolf with five points and Lily Langford with four.
The TigerScots went on a 9-4 run in the second quarter for a 26-8 lead at the half. They stretched their lead to 38-19 after three quarters.
The Oakers (20-11), which picked up the sixth-place trophy, still had a little fight left in them in the fourth quarter, going on a 24-14 run in the fourth to make things interesting.
Oakland cut the 19-point deficit to single digits with 1:58 to play, and were within 51-43 with 55 seconds remaining.
Charlotte Hansell finished off the game for the TigerScots with a free throw with 14 seconds left on the clock.
“It’s specifically special for the seniors Lily, Brooklyn and Manaia,” Wolf said. “Watching them advance from young girls with potential to young women on the court and beyond basketball is an honor to be witness to. All three sacrificed a lot for our program’s success. They have my support forever. Now, it’s time to start working on next year.”
Addy Hall added nine points, six rebounds and two steals for the TigerScots, while Hansell had seven points, six rebounds and five steals, Parker seven points, three steals and three rebounds, Langford seven points and four steals, and Reagan Pickard seven points. Sahara Kramer led Oakland with 17 points and five rebounds, while Swearingen added 10 points and six rebounds, and Lianna Gardner seven points, five assists and four steals
