Dresden's Katie Washburn hits late 3 to send Lady Lions to region title game

Luis Torres
Jackson Sun
Dresden's Katie Washburn pulls up for a three pointer over Gleason's Jayden Green during their Region 7-A semifinal game, Monday, Feb. 26. Dresden defeated Gleason, 30-29.

Katie Washburn waited in the corner.

The Dresden Lady Lions were down by two with the clock ticking down. Their season was on the line.

More: Vote for the Jackson area girls basketball player of the week for Feb. 19-24.

Mary Grace Davis passed it to Washburn. She caught the ball, set her feet, and put up the shot. She had a good feeling the moment the ball left her hand.

“I just felt it whenever it came off of my fingers that it was going in,” Washburn said.

Washburn was right. She drained the three pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining giving Dresden a 30-29 win over Gleason in the Region 7-A semifinals on Monday night and clinching a spot in Sectionals.  

Washburn almost couldn’t contain her nerves. If she missed, it was almost a given the Lady Lions would have lost. But for at least a few seconds, Washburn kept her cool.

“I was really nervous, but we worked for it in the offseason and everyone has made thousands and thousands of shots, so I felt like we had it,” Washburn said.

Those thousands of shots prepared her for that exact moment.

Washburn, along with the rest of her teammates, were in the gym non-stop.

More: Jackson area updated basketball region tournament brackets.

Coach Jonathan West doesn’t have to worry about Washburn or others getting complacent in big moments. They fall back what they’ve already practiced for.

“I think she made 15,000 threes between August and the end of October so she’s lives in the gym,” West said. “We had confidence in her to shoot the ball. … It’s great to have anyone like that mindset of not being scared to take the big shot.”

Dresden's head girls basketball coach Jonathan West celebrates after Dresden defeated Gleason, 30-29 in the Region 7-A semifinal game, Monday, Feb. 26.

West jumped in the air after the shot went in. However, there was a small chance the shot wouldn't have happened. 

More: Vote for the Jackson area boys basketball player of the Week for Feb. 19-24.

On Thursday, Washburn rolled her right ankle in Dresden’s 52-39 win in the regional quarterfinals over Middleton. She got hurt within 30 seconds of checking into the game.

The Lady Lions and Gleason were originally scheduled to play on Saturday, but severe weather pushed the game back two days.

“She did a lot of stuff on Friday and Saturday she was going to play, but she wasn’t going to be as good as she was tonight," West said. "Two extra days of rest that really helped her. She’s tough as nails. She can be in tears and won’t ever ask to come out.”

The Lady Lions have a big test in Greenfield on Wednesday in the region championship game. The Lady Jackets boast two Miss Basketball finalists in Chloe Moore and Tess Darby.

Dresden had to fight off a slow start against Gleason before Washburn came up with her heroics. She feels the shot might give the Lady Lions the extra push they need.

“It definitely boosts us up I think,” Washburn said. “I don’t know how to explain it but I feel like we’ll be better next game because we all have confidence in each other and we can play together.”

Reach Luis Torres at ltorres1@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9638 and follow him on Twitter @LFTorresIII.