Girls basketball roundup: Seaside falls to Mazama

But Mazama’s win wasn’t easy, as the visiting Gulls fought off a 22-14 deficit late in the first half and held a 33-29 advantage late in the third quarter. Three consecutive 3-pointers (two from Kaylee Snyder, one by Carly Corder) highlighted an 11-4 run by the Gulls.

From there, Mazama went on a 9-0 rally for a 38-33 lead early in the fourth.

The Gulls had trouble scoring over the final five minutes, and the Vikings made 3-of-7 free throws in the final 1:59 to clinch the win.

Corder led the Gulls with 10 points, followed by Snyder and Ella Brenden with seven points apiece.

Chelsea Gilmore scored 13 points for Mazama, and Adysen McGirr added 11, including a big 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter after Seaside had pulled to within 38-36.

Mazama’s Ella Baley had nine points and Elizabeth Estes added eight points off the bench, all in the second half.

Mazama improved to 11-10 overall, while Seaside finishes 11-12.

Lady Fishermen advance

Seven days after cruising past fourth-ranked Marshfield in a non-league game, the No. 3-ranked Astoria girls basketball team opened the post-season on March 4 with a decisive 69-39 victory over 16th-ranked Mazama.

The win brings an official end to a 21-year absence from the state tournament for the Lady Fishermen. Astoria would have been a part of the 2020 state tournament, prior to its cancellation.

Astoria’s last official appearance in a state tournament was the 2001-02 team, coached by Mark Fick. At the 3A state tournament in Corvallis, Astoria defeated Myrtle Point 34-28, before consecutive losses to Marist and Molalla.

Mazama held an early 8-4 lead in Saturday’s game, but Astoria’s Maitlin Young hit a pair of 3-pointers, and the Vikings got into foul trouble.The Lady Fishermen reeled off a 16-0 run to take the lead for good.

The Vikings stayed within eight to 10 points for another quarter, before Astoria pulled away in the third, with three Mazama starters fouling out.

Young scored 19 points, Shelby Bruney added 16, and three other players had seven or more for the Lady Fishermen. Young also had five assists and four steals.

Defensively, Astoria had 16 steals and scored 28 points off turnovers. The Vikings had 31 turnovers.

In the March 4 playoff, the Fishermen “were a little nervous the first part of the game,” Astoria girls basketball coach Mike Jacobson said. “But as it went on they settled in and did a great job of playing our game, and staying true to the process.”

Jacobson has been to state tournaments before, and is now officially taking his third different school to state.