The Northwood girls basketball team is one win away from the WIAA Division 5 state tournament.
The Evergreens defeated Washburn 46-32 Thursday night in Hayward to advance to the sectional championship game.
Northwood (20-5) will play Owen-Withee (23-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Spooner for a chance at a state berth. Owen-Withee defeated Columbus Catholic 66-31 Thursday in a sectional semifinal game.
The Evergreens came out strong in the first quarter, outscoring the Castle Guards 17-6.
Morgan Block scored the first points of the game on a reverse layup, but Washburn's 6-foot-2 senior Stefanie Siroin quickly tied the game at 2-2 with a shot inside. The score was tied again at 4-4 and 6-6 before Northwood clamped down on defense and finished out the quarter with 11 unanswered points.
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Senior Teagen Harings had the hot hand for Northwood in the first quarter, scoring 10 points of her team's 17 points.
Northwood went without a field goal in the second quarter but made six free throws and held Washburn to six points to make it 23-12 at halftime.
The Evergreens maintained a double digit lead throughout the third quarter, up by 15 at one point, but the Castle Guards managed small comeback in the fourth quarter to pull within seven points with less than three minutes to play. From there Northwood clinched the game at the line, making 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch. All but two of Northwood's points in the fourth quarter came at the free-throw line.
For the game the Evergreens were 17-of-23 on free throws, led by Sarah Benson's 9-of-10 performance. Washburn was just 5-of-11 on free throw attempts.
Harings led Northwood with 15 points, and Benson added 12. Morgan Block finished with nine points, McKayla Waggoner had seven, Kaity Harwick had two and Elise Burns made a free throw.
Siroin led the Castle Guards with 16 points, including eight of Washburn's 10 points in the third quarter.
Washburn finishes the season with a 20-6 record.
Northwood 17 6 11 12 -- 46
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Washburn 6 6 10 10 -- 32
Northwood -- Teagen Harings 15, Sarah Benson 12, Morgan Block 9, McKayla Waggoner 7, Kaity Harwick 2, Elise Burns 1.
3-point goals -- Harings, Benson, Block.
Washburn -- Stefanie Siroin 16, Tia Smith 7, Chelsea Fibert 4, Kierstyn Fibert 3, Sophie Olson 2.
3-point goals -- K. Fibert.
