VIDEO: Chase’s dramatic shot keeps Mount Si girls’ basketball playoff dreams alive

The Wildcat girls basketball team was part of the program’s most memorable moment in years last week, and it helped them earn a 3rd place finish at the Kingco Tournament.

By Rhett Workman • February 20, 2010 12:44 pm
Mount Si’s no. 21 Haley Chase attempts a shot in Tuesdays game against Liberty. A last-minute attempt by Chase went in to give Mount Si the victory in the loser-out game.
Mount Si’s no. 21 Haley Chase attempts a shot in Tuesdays game against Liberty. A last-minute attempt by Chase went in to give Mount Si the victory in the loser-out game.

The Wildcat girls basketball team saw its most memorable save in years last week, taking a third place finish at the Kingco Tournament.

On Tuesday, Feb. 16, Mount Si was on the verge of having its season come to a painful end as the Liberty Patriots had hit a basket with six seconds left to give them the lead.

But Wildcat junior Haley Chase, more known for her solid contributions as a post player, got the ball back down the floor to take a three-pointer for the win. The shot went in at the buzzer to lift Mount Si to a 42-40 win over the Patriots, keeping the Wildcat season alive.

The shot was the biggest buzzer-beater for Mount Si since Kelly Stubbert’s 1996 feat that sent the Wildcats into the state semifinals that season.

“All I saw was Traci pointing to the hoop to shoot. I just threw it up there and it was just crazy,” Chase said. She finished with six points, while Nelson added a game-high 12.

Mount Si struggled out of the gate as Liberty broke out to an 8-3 lead, before the Wildcats rallied late in the first quarter to take an 11-8 lead after one. It turned into a seesaw battle, as the Patriots did their best to make Mount Si play at their tempo, but struggled themselves in doing that.

Still, Liberty did accomplish one goal: to get the Wildcats out of their comfort zone.

“We never got into a rhythm,” Mount Si coach Megan Botulinski said. “No matter how many girls I threw out there and called timeouts, (we) just never got into it.”

Liberty held a 21-20 lead at halftime. The third quarter started out real slow for both teams, as the first points were not scored until just past the halfway point of the frame. Those were by the Wildcats, as they went on a 6-0 run which helped them grab the lead into the final stanza.

Mount Si built a lead down the stretch, 35-28, before seeing the Patriots make one last charge for the win. With the Wildcats up 37-35 and 1:35 left, Breanne Fahenrich hit a three to give Liberty the lead. Sarah McDonald then hit a pair of free throws on the ensuing Mount Si possession to put Mount Si back in front.

It remained this way until Aspen Winegar hit that basket which appeared to give Liberty the lead. When Chase’s shot went in, it sent Wildcat fans into a state of stunned amazement, a feeling which did not go away for most of them until several minutes later.

“I’m kind of in shock right now,” summed up Botulinski. “I told the girls not to do that ever again to me because I’m too young to die.”

Hailey Eddings added 10 to aid the Wildcats.

Playing on Thursday, Feb. 18, at Bellevue College, Mount Si fell to Mercer Island, 56-44, but rallied last Friday, Feb. 19, and posted another nail-biting win, 45-44 over Juanita, also at the college, to take third place.

The Wildcats were scheduled earlier this week to play at home in a loser-out game at the SeaKing District Tournament.