COOS BAY — The Pirates proved they were no fluke.
Dayton High School’s girls basketball team built a big lead and held off a strong fourth-quarter challenge by rival Amity for a 56-42 victory to win its second consecutive OSAA Class 3A state championship Saturday night.
“That’s unbelievable,” said Dayton sophomore Shawnie Spink, who had a triple double of 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. “Winning one was a dream. Winning two is just out of this world.
“I’m so thankful with my teammates and my coaching staff and everyone who just keeps pushing me and pushing me. I’m truly blessed.”
Dayton finished the season 27-3 and won the third state championship in school history.
Beyond the two basketball championships, many of the team’s players won a state championship on the softball team last spring.
“I am very blessed to have the teams I’ve had through my high school career,” said Dayton senior Teddi Hop, who scored 18 points. “It never gets old. I don’t take it for granted.
“I’m so blessed to have a community and to have a team like mine throughout the years. My first championship ever was last year basketball season. That was so amazing. Then to go win a softball one, that was even greater. Then to win this one it’s even greater than that one.”
Between a combination of a suffocating 1-2-2 zone defense and wickedly hot shooting from the field, Dayton built a big lead early.
The Pirates shot 62 percent from the field in the first half while holding the Warriors (23-7) to 33 percent from the field in the same period.
“We got down early, really in that first half, and they couldn’t miss a shot,” Amity coach Reg McShane said. “Hat’s off to them for that kind of an effort.
“And our kids fought back, and that’s what they did all year long. We play in a tough league and Dayton’s a great team.”
Dayton led by as much as 20 points at 40-20 on a Kalina Rojas basket with 1:58 left in the first half, but a 3-pointer by Amity’s Maddie Worthington at the halftime buzzer cut the Pirates’ lead to 40-25.
“We had a pretty good lead, but we got tight, we’re not going to lie about that,” Dayton coach Scott Spink said. “Basketball’s a game of momentum, but I’ll take that second quarter that we had any day of the week.”
Dayton led by as much as 21 points on a put back basket by Hop with 1:00 left in the third quarter.
But Amity had a strategy left to employ.
The Warriors went to a trapping zone defense that caused turnovers and finally got hot on offense.
Madelynn Krotzer’s basket with 3:26 left cut Dayton’s lead to 50-39.
“I think once we realized that we could win, we just kind of tightened up and we got scared and we didn’t want to lose,” Shawnie Spink said. “We weren’t just playing relaxed like we were the first half, so props to Amity. They really played hard to the very end.”
Amity had opportunities to cut the lead farther, but the Warriors went 0-for-4 from the free-throw line – including missing the front end of two one-and-one opportunities – in the final three minutes.
Hop scored six straight points to put the game out of reach for Dayton and bring the program its second straight state championship.
“It’s amazing,” Scott Spink said. “It’s a lot of work. I’ll tell you these girls have just worked hard all season. We’ve had a goal in mind. To play against Amity, who is such a good team. We knew they were going to be able to make a run, and to be able to hold on it is just an amazing feeling.”
In the third-place boys game, Dayton beat Portland Adventist Academy 79-60 behind 27 points by Devin Nowlin and 22 from Zach Bernards.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler
Dayton’s Teddi Hop (35) battles Maddie Worthington (24) and Madelynn Krotzer for a rebound at the OSAA Class 3A state basketball tournament at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay on Saturday, March 6, 2016.
Dayton players cheer after winning the OSAA Class 3A state championship.
Dayton’s Kalina Rojas (10) grabs a rebound against Amity at the OSAA Class 3A state basketball tournament at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay on Saturday, March 6, 2016.