District basketball roundup: Brooklyn Coe paces Deer Park girls in District 7 1A title game

It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season. In the District 7 1A championship game Wednesday night, the Deer Park girls team was up to the occasion.

Sophomore Brooklyn Coe scored 25 points, Northeast A player of the year Darrian Herring added 15 and the Stags beat Freeman 53-44 at West Valley HS in the winner-to-state title game.

Deer Park (20-2), ranked No. 6 in the state media poll, won both regular-season matchups between the two this season – the second a one-point decision on Jan. 21.

No. 8 Freeman (17-5) will play in a District 6/7 crossover on Saturday for a chance to advance to state.

“We just took it one point at a time and just focused on our jobs as a team,” Coe said. “I just have to let the game come to me instead of forcing it.”

“It’s just overwhelming,” Herring said. “We just worked hard and knew we could do it. We just believe in ourselves.”

Herring, a senior, gave Coe some encouraging words before the game.

“I just gave her a little pep talk,” Herring said. “Just told her it was time to go.”

Both teams struggled from the field in the first quarter, with Deer Park getting the better of it at 12-8.

“(Coe) got out of sorts on offense and defense at one point,” Deer Park coach KC Ahrens said. “I took her out for a minute and then went right back in and she does the ‘Etch-A-Sketch.’ She has a bad moment, and she goes out and erases it.”

Coe hit a long 3 at the start of the second quarter to put the Stags up 19-10. The Scotties chipped away , with Taylee Phelps picking up seven of her 11 first-half points, and Deer Park led 27-26 at halftime.

Coe hit a 3 early in the third quarter, Herring knocked down a pair of short jumpers and Deer Park led 39-35 heading into the fourth. Coe drove for a bucket, then Herring hit Allie Garry on the break for a layup and the Stags opened an eight-point lead midway through the fourth.

“We had to kind of get over the mental hump,” Ahrens said. “We’ve played them three of the last four years and just haven’t done it. I told the girls, though, that we never had the best team.

“We just had to go do what we do and we did tonight and it was awesome.”

Lakeside 71, Colville 46: Avery Haff scored 20 points, Ayanna Tobeck added 18 and the Eagles (15-8) beat the Crimson Hawks (13-8) in the third-place game.

Lakeside advances to a District 6/7 crossover on Saturday. Jordyn True led Colville with 13 points.

Boys

Freeman 60, Lakeside 52: Colton Wells scored 23 points, Boen Phelps added 22 and the No. 4 Scotties (20-2) topped the Eagles (11-10) in the winner-to-state championship game.

Lakeside will play in a District 6/7 crossover on Saturday.

Zeshawn Griffin led the Eagles with 13 points.

Deer Park 48, Colville 32: Ian Stapf scored 22 points, Seth Hickman added 16 and the Stags (13-9) beat the Crimson Hawks (7-15) in the third-place game.

DP advances to the District 6/7 crossover on Saturday. Luke Anderson led Colville with nine points.