Clarkston vs. East Valley: 5 Takeaways

Clarkston and East Valley (Spokane) took the court for the fourth time this season. East Valley won two of those matchups and Clarkston had one win under their belt. The fourth bout turned out to be the most exciting with a double overtime thriller! Controversial calls, passionate fans and some unpredictable plays were all present in this one. Clarkston came out victorious, 83-76 and cut down the nets as the 2A District 7 Champions. <em>5 Takeaways:</em> <strong>1) Sophomore Ashlyn Wallace's league MVP was well-deserved</strong> I walked into the game a few minutes late and after sitting down for about two minutes, it was obvious who the best player on the floor was. Ashlyn is a quick and crafty left handed point guard that does a little bit of everything on the floor. She is an exceptional ball handler and floor general that can really fill it up from behind the arc. She was the game's leading scorer at 36 points, while also breaking the school's single season scoring record. "M.V.P." <strong>2) East Valley is one of the state's most physical teams</strong> I've been to countless basketball games this season and East Valley is about as physical as anyone that I have seen. They have multiple players that are physically strong and have broad shoulders to make them difficult matchups in the post. 2020 5'10 SF <strong>Brie Holecek </strong>made her presence felt inside and out with physical play, setting hard screens and driving to the basket. 2021 6'0 C <strong>Ellie Stowell</strong> was solid on the high-low action that East Valley likes to run as well. <strong>3) Carroll College has a really solid player coming in next year!</strong> 2019 6'0 PF <strong>Genesis Wilkinson</strong> is headed to Carroll College after this season. They will be getting a physical and tough post player that can score on the low block. She will also provide a physical presence on the defensive end. She did a good job as the middle man in the press breaker and has the strength and height to throw good overhead passes all over the court. <strong>4) Clarkston has a lot of heart and resilience </strong> The Bantams were down for over 3/4 of the game with their deficit hitting 19 points at one point.  They eventually stormed back and the game was neck and neck through the first and early part of the second over time as well. It was not until the last couple minutes of double OT when they started to gain a slight edge. When Division 1 recruit Ashlyn Wallace fouled out, some fans held their breathe a little bit. With about a minute left, 2020 5'8 G <strong>AJ Sabotta</strong> threw a beautiful pass inside for a score that gave them the lead they needed to pull away just enough. The team never displayed bad body language or a quitter's attitude throughout the entire game. They just kept on coming and it paid off for them in the end. <strong>5) This game really mattered for playoffs</strong> With a win in the District Championship, Clarkston will now host a glue-crossover game versus the CWAC third seed, Selah HS. East Valley will have to head to Yakima for their crossover game. The winner of each of these crossover games will go to regionals and the loser is out. East Valley will have to play the two seed from the CWAC, which figures to be a little more difficult matchup.