NEW — 6 p.m. Feb. 23, 2015
It’s official.
The Liberty High School girls basketball season is starting to feel mighty similar to one Cinderella-type playoff run the school witnessed in 2013.
After the underdog Patriots knocked off No. 3-ranked White River in the District 2/3 tournament Feb. 18, the parallels to the Liberty soccer team’s state-winning run are hard to miss.
It’s not quite the statement the Patriots’ soccer squad made when it sent home undefeated, No. 1-ranked Columbia River, but the 62-52 win over White River similarly opened eyes across the state and made people take notice of the Patriots.
Liberty handed White River just its third loss of the season and clinched a spot in the district title game with the win.
Senior Cherelle Demps’ 30 points accounted for about half of the Patriots’ scoring. She also added three steals and three rebounds.
That set the stage for a district title showdown Feb. 21 against conference foe Sammamish, a team the Patriots beat twice during the regular season.
Liberty went on to defeat Sammamish, 54-44, clinching the district championship and securing the No. 1 seed into regionals.
Cherelle and Danielle Demps each had 14 points, followed closely by senior Sarah Bliesner and freshman Sydney Argosino, who each had nine points.
The Patriots need just one regionals win to secure their spot in the 2A Hardwood Classic at the Yakima Valley SunDome, March 5-7.
Liberty will play East Valley, of Spokane, at 2 p.m. Feb. 28 at Renton High School, 400 S. Second St. If Liberty wins, it moves on to the SunDome; if the Patriots lose, the season is over.
Patriots fans all know how that 2013 Liberty soccer season ended. Now, the Liberty girls basketball team hopes to hoist a trophy of its own.