Woodcreek defeats Vanden to advance to final four

Woodcreek's varsity girls' basketball team is one of four teams remaining in the CIF Nor-Cal Division 2 playoff bracket. The Timberwolves, seeded sixth, defeated Vanden, the 14th seed, 48-42, on Thursday night to advance to the final four. On Saturday, the Timberwolves will travel to Hanford to face the second seed Sierra Pacific for the right to play in the Northern California Division 2 championship game on Tuesday night. Woodcreek pretty much led the entire game against Vanden, but the game was close throughout, particularly after the first quarter when Woodcreek had a 17-10 lead. By halftime, the Timberwolves led by only two, 21-19. In the third quarter, Vanden briefly took a 24-23 lead with 2:49 to play, but Woodcreek finished the quarter on a 12-1 run to take command, 35-25. Ariel Thomas put the Timberwolves back in front with a basket, followed by a pair of hoops from Katelyn Hull. Chloe Preuss and Thomas then hit back-to-back three pointers to put the Timberwolves in front, 35-24. Vanden, however, came roaring back in the fourth quarter, starting with a 9-0 run to erase Woodcreek's lead, 35-34. Vanden, however, never took the lead. Hull hit a free throw followed by a basket and two free throws from Preuss, as the Timberwolves took a 40-34 lead with 3:30 to play. Vanden scored a free throw, but Preuss again hit two free throws and a three pointer from Thomas put the game out of reach. "It was a phenomenal game; two really good teams battling it out," Woodcreek coach Malcolm Thomas said. "It was a very physical game. Both offenses woke up in the fourth quarter, but the surge we had late in the third quarter helped us keep them at a distance. Vanden is an extremely talented and very well-coached team. They definitely came to play and the environment was electric with both teams bringing a ton of fans." Preuss led Woodcreek with 26 points, while Thomas scored eight, and Summer Hennessy and Hull added six points apiece.