Future Lady Griz ready for the next big thing

The play that would lead to Libby Stump's tournament-winning shot in the Washington Class 1A championship game in early March in Yakima was installed at an early-season practice in November.

Lynden Christian coach Brady Bomber walked his players through the set-up of the sideline-out-of-bounds play, the actions required once the ball was inbounded and the looks it was designed to get.

Then the Lyncs sat on it, dusting it off every few weeks in practice, just in case it was needed in a critical situation down the road.

That moment arrived on Saturday, March 5, at the Yakima Valley SunDome. There were 10 seconds left in overtime. No. 1 Lynden Christian, which had the ball, trailed No. 2 Nooksack Valley 56-55.

Bomber huddled with his team at a timeout and told them it was time.

"We ran 'T' and 'T' worked," says Stump, who would be named tournament MVP for what followed out of that timeout.

"We were saving it for the right moment, the right game. That's the one and only time we ran it all season. Nobody saw it coming."

While that may be true, that the ball was inbounded to Stump surprised nobody.

Nooksack Valley coach Shane Wichers spent that same timeout telling his players what was going to happen: Stump was going to get the ball and take the shot.

After all, she had scored 33 of her team's 55 points at that point.

"We knew who it was going to. Great players make great plays," Wichers said after the game.

Stump received the ball going away from the basket, 10 feet outside the top of the key. Going to her left, she picked up a second defender off the elbow. As she kept going, she attracted a third help defender from the post. They all clung to her. There was nowhere to go but up.

At the start of the play, she had it in mind to get to the basket, to either score or draw a foul and two free throws. But the defense wasn't going to allow it.

She would have to pull up from 12 feet out, elevate over the three defenders and trust her jump shot.

"I've had a lot of people pour time into me to get me to that shot," she said this week. "I've had people like my dad and other people rebound that exact jumper thousands of times.

"I like to think I'm pretty calm in the moment. I feel comfortable with my jumper. I really like my jumper. I tried to find a hole and knew I wasn't going to get to the basket, so I pulled up and it went in."

She elevated from 12 feet out and at the peak of her jump released a smooth shot that settled almost impossibly softly into the net.

Nooksack Valley could do nothing more than scramble to get the ball inbounded and take a three-quarter court heave that had no chance.

Lynden Christian, which finished 21-4, had its second consecutive state title, its 14th in program history.

Good lord, what a shot. Here is Stump's game winner in OT in Lynden Christian's 57-56 win. Read @SBLiveWA pic.twitter.com/Wuhpz5E2Rn
— Todd Milles (@ManyHatsMilles) March 6, 2022

Stump, who converted a three-point play late in regulation to send the game to overtime, finished with 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting. She went 10 of 11 from the line.

"Going back to the locker room after a moment like that, there is no better feeling than looking around at your girls you just battled with, because you can't do it by yourself," Stump said. "You've got to have your team.

"I felt like I was on such an emotional high for a few days after. I couldn't really calm down in the days that followed. It still hasn't really sunk in that, wow, we won that game and how we won that game. It was such a great way to end my high school career."

Stump was one of four players to sign a National Letter of Intent in November, part of Lady Griz coach Brian Holsinger's first recruiting class.

She was voted the Class 1A Player of the Year by the Washington Coaches Association and first-team All-Northwest Conference.

Stump recently played in the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association all-star game that had the state's top 1A seniors facing the top 2A players.

This weekend she'll be one of 10 seniors from Washington representing their home state in the WAVOR game that pits Washington's best seniors against Oregon's.

Mack Konig (Milton, Ontario/Kings Christian Collegiate), Alex Pirog (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Highlands Ranch HS) and Draya Wacker (Melstone, Mont./Melstone HS), the other signees, also are coming off successful senior seasons.

"They are really highly successful kids who know how to win," said Holsinger. "All of them have just done a fantastic job. There is something to be said for being a good player but also for being able to help your team win.

"They are the future. I've said it all along, these first two classes, this class and the class we're recruiting now, are the foundation for what we're trying to build for the future, the stability of a championship program. These four individuals all will help us get there."

After playing three years at Henry M. Jackson High in Mill Creek, Wash., Konig spent her senior year in Canada at King Christian Collegiate.

Her team went undefeated through the regular season and advanced to the title game of the Final 8 Championships, where it lost 65-61 to Capital Courts Academy.

In the semifinals, against Niagara Prep, Konig had 29 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

"We worked hard through the whole season and learned a lot," said Konig. "It was so fun to see each of us get better and become the amazing players we are.

"We fell short of our success at the very end but not short of how proud we were for how far we had come."

She was named second-team All-Star by the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association and was selected to play in Sunday's BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game, featuring the top 24 high school basketball players who are Canadian or playing in Canada, but she had to turn down her spot.

She'll be in Missoula for her official visit.

"Throughout my high school career, I've dreamed of playing at the next level," said Konig. "I've been lucky to have great teammates and coaches that have understood my goals and aided me in developing my game to where it is now as well as push me to strive for more.

"I am beyond excited to be going to Montana next year to pursue my goals further and help others achieve theirs."

Pirog's final game for Highlands Ranch came in the semifinals of the Colorado Class 5A state tournament, when she matched up against Grandview's Lauren Betts, who is 6-foot-7 and on her way to Stanford.

"I had a lot of people call me after that game who said, hey, she battled that kid really tough. She had a great, great senior season, so I'm excited for her," said Holsinger. "She just continues to get better and better and is so excited to be a Lady Griz."

Highlands Ranch went 21-5 and undefeated in the Centennial League at 9-0, with Pirog getting named the league's co-Player of the Year.

She averaged 13 points and led the Centennial League in rebounds (11/g), blocked shots (2/g) and double-doubles (16) to earn first-team All-Centennial League and second-team Class 5A All-State honors.

She played in The Show all-star game and the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports All-State Basketball Game after the season.

"Wrapping up my final season of high school basketball is bittersweet," Pirog said. "I have met lifelong friends through my high school team and will be forever grateful for the coaching I have received.

"With that said, I could not be more excited for the next chapter in my life. This has been my dream since I was little, so the fact that it is almost a reality is such a great feeling. I can't wait to get up to Montana and officially be a Lady Griz."

Wacker returned to the court this past season after having her junior year derailed by a season-ending knee injury. By January she was becoming the 11th girls' basketball player in state history to reach 2,000 career points.

She led Melstone to an undefeated record in league and a conference championship, then added district and divisional titles on its way to the Class C state tournament.

She was named first-team all-conference and all-state.

"To get to the state tournament with a team that was relying on her after coming back from injury, I'm super proud of her," said Holsinger.

Wacker played on the Class C team that competed in the 35th annual Hi-Line Invitational Tournament last week in Havre. She was named to the H.I.T. all-star team.

"I can't believe my time as a Bronc has come to an end," Wacker said. "Although I never pictured the ending to happen so suddenly, I am so thankful for my five years at Melstone and will cherish them forever.

"Now I am focused on preparing for my next four years as a Lady Griz and cannot wait for the memories to come."

All four will arrive in Missoula in late June for summer workouts and conditioning. They'll get a short break in August, then return for the real thing, both school and basketball.

"I'm so excited to come in with girls who are like-minded, who have the same attitude toward winning. I'm super excited we get to go in together and have a ball and play hard and compete," said Stump.

University of Montana Athletics

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