Cowapa League: St. Helens Sneaks Past Seaside 55-51

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>This game recap uses 4A rankings from Mid-Major Media.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The No. 7 St. Helens Lions defeated the No. 6 Seaside Seagulls 55-51 in a come-from-behind fourth-quarter upset on the road Friday night. Instead of Seaside clinching the title, the rivals are now tied at the top of the Cowapa League table with two league games remaining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='832589' first='D'aye' last='Davidson'] led the way on both ends for the Lions, dropping a double-double and scoring a game-high 17 points with 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. The 6-foot power forward protected the rim and dominated the boards. She went coast to coast, spun in the lane, and finished strong at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/box-score {"name":"acf/box-score","data":{"game":["1484972"],"_game":"field_6a1b2c3d4e5f7"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-699a6dc209210"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seaside disrupted St. Helens early with backcourt pressure, forcing turnovers, and ending the opening frame with a commanding 21-10 lead. It was a balanced team scoring effort for the Seagulls, with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1266176' first='Jahzara' last='Marshall'] leading the charge early with 7 first-quarter points. The point guard finished with a team-high 12 points and added 4 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Seagulls went on a 17-4 run that spanned the first two quarters, culminating in a game-high 17-point lead (27-10) early in the second frame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore Allie Corder went to work inside for Seaside, scoring all 10 of her points in the first half. The power forward was strong with the ball, backed down her defender, and finished contested takes. Her older sister, Carly Corder, opened her account in the second quarter with a strong finish through contact and the foul. She converted the extra point. The senior finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='832589' first='D'aye' last='Davidson'] put a stop to Seaside's run with back-to-back buckets in the paint. Sophomore Brook Stevens added a quick 5 points in the last minute of the period, scoring a catch-and-shoot three from the wing and a transition layup after running the floor, both plays assisted by senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='824296' first='Devan' last='Lee']. Stevens finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds, Lee added 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Helens outscored the Seagulls by 1 point in the second quarter (13-12), cutting the deficit to 10 points at halftime (33-23).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out of the break, the Lions tightened up their defense and held the Seagulls to 6 points in the third quarter, ending the frame down by a manageable 7 points (39-32).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Helens continued to chip away at Seaside's margin to take its first lead of the game in the fourth quarter. Stevens netted a go-ahead three-pointer from the wing, assisted by Davidson, to take a 1-point lead (45-44) with 3:33 left in the final frame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seaside reclaimed the lead with two free throws, but it was fleeting as Stevens took it right back with a pull-up jumper. The Lions extended their lead to 5 points (53-48) with 27 seconds remaining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 18 seconds left, Marshall swished a deep, high-arching three from the wing to put Seaside back within one possession (53-51). The Seagulls fouled to stop the clock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='991271' first='Madelyn' last='Hancock'] went to the line and split bonus free throws to put St. Helens up by 4. Hancock scored 8 points in the fourth quarter, including 5-of-6 from the line, and finished with 11 points and 3 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lions made another defensive stop, and the Seagulls fouled once more to stop the clock. Davidson went to the line with 5 seconds left and added another bonus free throw to seal the deal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rivals split home wins earlier in Cowapa League play. The Seagulls won game one 55-36, and the Lions won game two 53-47. Both teams have two league games remaining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seaside (17-5, 8-2) hosts Tillamook on Tuesday and Scappoose on Friday for Senior Night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Helens (15-5, 8-2) hosts Astoria on Tuesday for Senior Night and goes to Tillamook on Friday for its last game of the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->