Lady Stags Bring Home Fourth-Place Trophy

Prior to the beginning of the 2023-24 basketball season, the Deer Park girls basketball program, which began in 1975, had three state tournament appearances without a trophy. Three seasons later, under the direction of head coach K.C. Ahrens, there are now three state trophies in the high school trophy case.

Survival Mode Wednesday, March 4

Having dropped their opening round matchup to eventual third-place finisher Ellensburg, the Lady Stags played Wednesday against Greater St. Helens League champion Mark Morris of Longview.

After having only a 13-9 advantage following the opening quarter, the Lady Stags turned up the intensity on the Monarchs with their defense. Only the halftime horn interrupted the 25-1 storm which resulted in a 42-13 halftime lead. Ashlan Bryant tallied 21 first-half points and was joined in double figures by Jacey Boesel with a dozen, all in the final 3:48. Deer Park forced 23 first-half turnovers and hit 14-of-27 field goal attempts.

Deer Park would go on to a 67-32 win, guaranteeing their stay in Yakima through Friday. Bryant finished with 25 points and eight rebounds. Her sister, Emma Bryant, totaled 23 points, 16 in the second half. Boesel finished with 16 points and a team best 11 rebounds.

Top Two Seeds Collide Thursday, March 5

Thursday brought a matchup with the two-time defending state champions Lynden and their 72-game winning streak. It would be a tall task indeed as the Lions had five players 6 feet tall or taller on their roster.  

The Lady Stags attempted to slow the game down in the opening quarter and did just that, finding themselves in a tight contest with Lynden leading 12-11 after the opening eight minutes.

The first half would end with the Lions scoring the final seven points to lead 24-13 at halftime.  The Lynden defense limited the Lady Stags to only 4-of-25 shooting in the first half.  

Ashlan Bryant would open the third quarter with a 3-pointer but the Lions would counter with four triples of their own to have a 44-22 lead after three periods on their way to a 58-33 final margin. Boesel was top scorer with 11 points and Ashlan Bryant had 10 and a team-leading seven rebounds.

Shutting Down The Record Setter Friday, March 6

A win was needed on Friday to clinch a state tournament trophy round berth. Standing in the way was Nathan Hale High School of the Seattle Metro League and Boise State commit Zia-Daye Anderson who scored a tournament record 52 points two days earlier.

A 7-0 run by the Lady Stags created a 14-6 lead that became 14-10 after one quarter.

Deer Park would score the opening 14 points of the second quarter with a balanced offensive attack and a defense that forced 14 turnovers and held the Raiders to only five field goals.

The balanced effort continued in the second half as the Lady Stags punched their trophy day ticket 53-22, ending the Raiders’ maiden state tournament voyage. The high scoring Anderson was limited to seven points and was forced into nine turnovers by the Deer Park defense.  Ashlan Bryant was a high scorer with 17 points, adding seven rebounds. Emma Bryant added 15 and Boesel had 13 with 12 rebounds.

Trophy Day Rematch Saturday, March 7 

A familiar foe awaited the Lady Stags with the fourth-place trophy at stake on Saturday. Deer Park faced a Selah squad that they played at the Sundome Shootout during Christmas break. 

The Vikings would connect on a trio of 3-pointers and hold a 16-13 lead following the opening period.

Trailing 18-15 early in the second quarter, a Lady Stags 14-0 run advanced their margin to 29-18. Ashlan Bryant scored eight of her 17 first-half points during the span and was joined by Boesel with four first-half steals. The Vikings did pull within eight at halftime by scoring the final six points of the first half.

Selah would score the first five points of the second half to pull within three at 34-31. The Lady Stags claimed ownership of the remainder of the period, outscoring the Vikings 15-2 for a 49-33 lead after three quarters.  

Deer Park claimed the fourth-place trophy with a 65-45 triumph. Ashlan Bryant led the scoring numbers with 24 points and a team high five steals. Boesel had 15 points and eight rebounds as well as four steals. Emma Bryant had 13 points and four steals.

Lady Stags senior Berlyn Zimmerer became the first player in program history to play in four state tournaments; the team’s record during that period was 97-11.