Southeast Polk girls bury Washington in three-pointers

CEDAR RAPIDS – Southeast Polk traveled 117 miles to play a Class 5A girls' regional final last night at Cedar Rapids Prairie.Turns out, it brought its shooting touch along.The defending 5A state champions drilled a season-high 14 3-pointers and led by as many as 20 points in defeating eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington, 79-71."It was their night," Washington Coach Frank Howell said. "They shot the eyes out of the basketball."Ninth-ranked Southeast Polk (16-6) played its second straight game without leading scorer Ashton Donels (unspecified suspension). The Rams were 0 of 10 on 3-pointers in a regional opener at Ankeny, but it was clear early their stroke had returned.Sophomore Abby Penquite served notice with four 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the game, putting Washington (18-5) in a 22-10 hole after the first quarter. Washington's prolific scoring duo of Dani Franklin and Aleena Hobbs struggled early to match the Rams' firepower."They were in a triangle-and-two; that was part of the issue," Howell said. "They stayed really close to Aleena and Dani, and it was tougher for them to get loose."Hobbs and Franklin each finished with 18 points. Junior Kandis O'Donnell added 14 tough points in the paint.Washington trailed by 18 entering the final quarter, but a 15-6 surge to start the period got the deficit under 10. The Warriors got as close as nine on four different occasions down the stretch, but each time Polk had an answer. Franklin's lone 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left, and just the second for Washington all night, trimmed the deficit to six before a pair of Penquite free throws."We scored enough, that wasn't the issue," Howell said.Five different Rams made 3-pointers, all before the third quarter was up. Penquite accounted for six threes and led all scorers with 24 points, while senior Jessica Cole added 20 as Polk advances to the state tournament for the fourth straight season.Washington misses a possible third trip in four years."The team that we had this year," Howell said, "I'd say from the beginning of the season to the end, improved as much as any team I've had. I'll always remember this group."

AT C.R. PRAIRIE

C.R. WASHINGTON (71): Aleena Hobbs 7 4-4 18, Jasmyne Jones 0 1-2 1, Dani Franklin 8 1-2 18, Kandis O'Donnell 6 2-2 14, M.J. Kamin 0 0-0 0, Joniqua Clark 1 1-2 3, Callie Cook 3 1-3 7, Kiki West-Doyle 3 1-2 8, Courtney Squires 0 0-0 0, Allie Semrau 0 0-0 0, Anne Visser 0 0-0 0, Sophie Ochs 0 0-0 0, Lilly Hartman 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 11-17 71.

SOUTHEAST POLK (79): Shelby Uhl 0 0-0 0, Sierra Mitchell 1 0-0 3, Anna Zelenovich 0 0-0 0, Jacey Huinker 2 3-5 7, Jessica Cole, 6 6-7 20, Annie Penquite 3 4-6 12, Abby Penquite 6 6-6 24, Allee Ira 5 0-0 13. Totals 23 19-24 79.

Halftime: Southeast Polk 39, Washington 30.

3-point goals: Washington 2 (West-Doyle, Franklin), Southeast Polk 14 (Ab.Penquite 6, Ira 3, Cole 2, An.Penquite 2, Mitchell 1).

Team fouls: Washington 20, Southeast Polk 17.

Fouled out: Jones.