Jordyn Robertson drilled a 3-pointer with 1:20 to help the Class 4A Monroe Bearcats to a 47-44 win over host Bonney Lake in the finals of the Bonney Lake Holiday Classic Dec. 30.

The Bearcats, who have made seven state tournament appearances since 1996, lead the entire game except for an early 3-3 tie.

For most of the first half, Monroe maintained a comfortable margin between them and the Panthers. A Marcel Pounds 3-pointer and free throw by Tiara Killmer cut the margin by three, 16-13, but the Bearcats went on a 15-3 run to go into intermission ahead, 31-19.

Monroe’s largest lead was 14 points, 35-21, early in the third period.

Bonney Lake, behind a balanced scoring attack, chipped away at the Bearcat margin in the final period.

Down by 13 at the start of the final stanza, the Panthers opened up with a 13-2 run. Rani Wiegand scored on a pair of layups, Pounds scored four, Killmer had three and Emily McCoy added a bucket. Carli Elwin’s putback cut the margin by two, 44-42, with 1:40 to play.

Robertson’s 3-pointer increase the lead by five. Bonney Lake’s Cheyann Clark hit a pair of free throw to cut the margin by three with 38.6 second left to go, but Monroe ran out the clock to seal the win.

Pound led Bonney Lake with 13 points, Wiegand hit 11 and McCoy added eight.

Sammi Clark led Monroe with 14, Robertson finished with 13 and Suzanna Ohlsen added 10.

Bonney Lake reached the finals with a win over Puyallup.

Pounds poured in a season-high 33 points as the Panthers’ 62-50 downed Puyallup in first-round play.

In the first quarter, Pounds scored 14 points – including a trio of 3-pointers – for a 18-14 margin. She finished with six 3-point baskets.

Puyallup hit two consecutive 3-pointer baskets to open up the second period, but Pounds and Murray scored four each for a 28-20 lead. Murray finished with 9 points.

The Vikings scored five unanswered points to end the first half, trailing 28-25.

Wiegand scored four points early in the third period, then Pounds hit two of her game-high six 3-pointers. Murray’s short jumper gave Bonney Lake a 15-point lead, 42-27 – their largest margin of the game.

But Puyallup rallied back to cut the lead to five, 46-41, early in the final period.

Tiara Killmer went inside for a layup, then Pounds scored off a layup and steal. Killmer scored inside the paint and was fouled. Her free throw capped a 3-point play for a 56-43 lead with two minutes to play.

Monroe reached the championship game with a 77-42 thumping of Kent-Meridian in the first round Dec. 29.

Ohlsen scored a game-high 23 points for Monroe, while Alysaa Brazel netted 15.