Neah Bay wins its fourth-straight title, topping Garfield-Palouse for second year in a row | State 1B girls

Although the eight-hour drive might not be the most convenient, it’s safe to sat that Neah Bay girls have found a home away from home at the Spokane Arena.

And just as they have done the past three years, the Lady Reds made it clear Saturday night that they currently own the 1B tournament.

Cerise Moss led top-seeded Neah Bay with 17 points and the Lady Reds won their fourth-straight State 1B girls title with a 54-41 victory over second-seeded Garfield-Palouse.

It is the second-straight year that Neah Bay topped the Vikings in the title tilt, winning last year’s championship game 46-36. Neah Bay also won a nonleague showdown between the two teams in December 48-36.

“I just feel like when you’re younger, you live for these moments,” Neah Bay coach Cherish Shaw-Moss said. “You grow up coming here and watching this tournament, so to now be a part of that for these girls has been the key to success.”

Angel Halttunen added 15 points for the Lady Reds (25-2), which used a balanced and efficient offensive attack. Senior guard Qwaapeys Greene also finished in double figures with 11 points. Neah Bay finished shooting 39.5% from the floor and hit 10-of-20 3-pointers (50%), while holding Garfield-Palouse to just 28.3% shooting.

But Garfield-Palouse (24-3) was never out of the game until the final minutes, finishing the first quarter tied before trailing by just five at halftime and through three quarters.

“They’re just a great team. They’re well coached, they play great defense,” Shaw-Moss said of the Vikings. “Both of these teams just get down to the nitty-gritty of it on both ends and that’s fun to be a part of.”

Freshman standout Ellie Collier paced the Vikings with 13 points, while senior Morgan Lentz had 11 points for Garfield-Palouse.

The Lady Reds are now halfway to matching Colton’s mark of eight-straight titles, which the Wildcats won from 2009-16.

“I just hope the kids that are watching this understand the hard work that our girls put in and how it’s so much more than just the two hours of practice,” Shaw-Moss said. “I just hope this run inspires anyone that wants to be here when they get older. I remember watching and wanting this moment so bad when I was younger, so I hope they feel that too.”

In the 1B girls trophy games earlier Saturday, third-seeded Waterville-Mansfield topped fifth-seeded Oakesdale 48-44 in the 3rd/5th-place game, while No. 8-seed Lummi Nation downed seventh-seeded Pateros 54-45 in the 4th/6th-place tilt.