Renton girls fall in state regional round to Port Angeles

Published 1:20 pm Monday, March 2, 2026

For many of the Renton High School girls’ basketball players, making it to the regional round was beyond their wildest dreams. But that dream became reality on Feb. 28 as the Renton Redhawks (21-4) took on Port Angeles (18-6) at the University of Puget Sound.

The Redhawks fell to the Rough Riders 52-39 inside the Memorial Fieldhouse, and for all of the players, it was a different feeling stepping inside a college level gym and playing in front of the biggest crowd they have played in front of all season.

“I think that kind of set them off, then we got going later. They didn’t know what to expect. I should have prepared them for this type of atmosphere,” head coach Earl Cheatham said.

“In warm-ups, there was a lot of pressure. The second I walked into the gym, I could feel it was going to be a lot of pressure in the game. Especially with the boys and people from our school coming. Watching the game before us we could see the tension,” sophomore Khloe Mallary said.

Renton entered having not played in 10 days since their district tournament against Cedarcrest back on Feb. 18. The days of practice that followed gave Renton hope that they were going to compete at a high level.

“Everybody has been working hard at practice and showing up for each other and showing we really care for each other on and off the court. … Right now it’s super emotional,” Mallary said.

A first ever experience on a big stage is an eye opening experience for any player, and with the youth movement Renton finds itself in, this was their moment in the spotlight. It was a unique experience, but one they might not have been ready for.

“I am so proud of these young ladies. We excelled. Even me as a coach, I didn’t know what to expect,” Cheatham said.

Port Angeles started out hot thanks to senior Teanna Clark, who led the Riders with eight points. Partner that with Lindsay Smith dominating the boards and Port Angeles found themselves a winning combination on Saturday night.

Renton’s leading scorer at the half was Gigi Victo Hill, who had just seven points, compared to Clark, who once again outscored Renton as a team. Clark had 18 points while the halftime score was 29-16.

In the second half, Renton had their best defensive period in the third quarter, holding the Rough Riders to just six points, but their offensive struggles continued as Precious Miles was the only Redhawk to make a shot from the floor. Both Victo Hill and Miles had two free throws each in the third as the Redhawks went to the fourth trailing 35-22.

Renton was able to rally in the fourth quarter thanks to some huge three-pointers from Mia Mickelson, back-to-back. Then following a timeout, Victo Hill made a layup through contact and converted the back end to cut the Port Angeles lead to seven with 2:00 remaining.

“We really wanted the ‘W’ and were pushing each other to get there. On the court we were all hustling for the ball and getting to our spots,” Mallary said.

The Redhawks are graduating Ny’Mari Garner and Lyric Williams from this year’s team. That means Miles, Victo Hill, Mickelson and Mallary are all going to return to Renton next season. That is an exciting sign for Cheatham and the Redhawks as they now turn to next season as their next opportunity.

“I really believe we will make it to state again. We’ll know the feeling and come back stronger next year and not as nervous,” Mallary said.

But that is as close as Renton would get, as they wouldn’t make another basket for the remainder of the game. The fight Renton showed was commendable — their backs were against the wall and they fought their way back into the game. But the young group came up just short on their trip to the Yakima Valley SunDome, which will have to wait until next season. This served as a taste of what is to come for Renton.

“They showed the heart. I told them we will be back again next year. I am proud of them. We started slow but played the best basketball they could,” Cheatham said.