Garfield girls beat Mead to win unprecedented fourth 3A title in row

TACOMA — Garfield coach Roy Smiley described it as “unthinkable.” Others called it unprecedented.

However it’s described, as of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2024, the Garfield girls basketball team stands alone among Washington’s big-school classifications after the Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive Class 3A state basketball title at the Tacoma Dome.

The particulars? Garfield 62, Mead 59.

Katie Fiso made two clutch three-pointers in the final two minutes as the Bulldogs broke away from a 56-56 tie. Mead cut the lead in half with a Gracie Wenkheimer three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining. But after a held ball with 3.4 seconds left gave possession to Mead, a desperation three-pointer from Teryn Gardner was no good.

“Special moment, man,” Fiso said. “Name another team that could do this. I am so proud of my team. They had my back and I had theirs.”

The Panthers (26-2) were the first team other than Lake Washington, which had advanced to the previous three championship games, to fall to Garfield (21-3) in the title game. The Bulldogs has beaten Mead in consecutive seasons at the state tournament, as well.

Garfield ousted the Panthers from Spokane in the semifinals a season ago. The victory was the Bulldogs 13^th in a row at the state tournament, extending its Class 3A tournament record and tying Class 4A Lewis & Clark (2005-09), another Spokane school, for the most among the state’s top classifications.

Only two other schools in any Washington state classification have won four or more championships in a row. Colfax did it from 2004 to 2007 in Class 1A, part of a five-out-of-six run that began in 2002. Colton dominated the smallest class in the state, Class 1B, for eight straight years from 2009 to 2016.

“True admiration,” Garfield coach Roy Smiley said. “I’m elated. It feels different from last year, but it also feels the same. I’m so happy for these girls. I’m just a passenger on their journey.”

The stars were locked in from the tip on Saturday.

Oregon-bound Fiso made 7 of 12 shots and all of her free throws in the first half and led all scorers at the break with 17 points for Garfield. She finished with 29. Boise State commit Gardner was 5 of 10 from the field for 16 points for Mead. She finished with 22.

“Katie had 17 and she had 16, and she had half their points,” Smiley said. “We knew that if we could slow her (Gardner) down, we had a chance. The defense is where we put the nail in. Every time we step on the floor, our defense.”

Neither team led by more than four points over the first half and thanks to a field goal followed by 1 of 2 free throws in the final minute from the Panthers’ Addison Wells-Morrison, the game was tied at 32-32 at the half.

Garfield exerted itself in the third, built a lead that extended to as much as seven at 49-42, and took a 49-44 lead into the final quarter despite Mead shooting 14 free throws in the third. 

Gardner scored six straight for Mead, her last basket of the game coming with 4:41 left to play closing the gap to two, 56-54. At 4:03, the Panthers tied the game at 56 on two Wells-Morrison free throws.

The teams traded unproductive possessions until Fiso found a crease above the left side of the three-point arc and let fly. Swish. And the Bulldogs had the lead back, 59-56 with 2:05 left. A minute later, with the shot clock running down, Fiso hit from three again and it was a 62-56 advantage.

“It was magical,” Smiley said. “Not only does she score, but she’s the ultimate leader out there, man. Every timeout she’s pumping her fists, telling her teammates they can do it. So her instilling that confidence, that’s the true leader that she is.”

For Fiso, the win put to rest some last remaining doubts.

“I couldn’t be more proud of myself. I worked so hard for this,” Fiso said. “I had moments where I doubted myself throughout this season. But we came together as a team. I’m just super proud of my team.”