The Enumclaw High girls basketball team made great strides this year, peaking at the right time to make a run into postseason play.

“The girls really have surpassed my expectations,” said coach Beth Madill, who was pleased following her team’s Saturday victory over Kelso.

That victory over the Highlanders kept the Hornets – who finished with a South Puget Sound League 3A mark of just 3-7 – in the hunt for a trip to the 16-team state tournament.

The road, however, looked plenty tough.

First came a Monday, loser-out game against league champion Auburn Mountainview. If the Hornets pulled out a victory, they were to play Tuesday in a winner-to-state, loser-out contest. Both games were slated for Clover Park and, in each case, results came too late to be included here.

EHS’s postseason trek included a 55-49, overtime victory Feb. 15 against the Camas Papermakers.

The teams were deadlocked at 44 at the end of regulation play, but Enumclaw exploded for an 11-5 advantage in the extra frame.

Katina Ferguson scored a game-high 14 points to lead EHS. Hannah Calvert and Jessica Snoen added 10 apiece.

That put the Hornets in the unenviable position of challenging talented Kennedy Friday night. Kennedy proved its hype was warranted, doubling up on the Hornets 54-27.