OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies girls basketball team built a sizable lead and contained a comeback from a determined Grandview team for a 48-43 win in Othello Thursday night.

With the win, Othello advanced to play Clarkston Saturday for a berth to the state tournament.

The Huskies used a stifling defense to take a 28-13 lead at the half, holding Grandview to two points in the second quarter.

“We learned from the East Valley game that we could push the ball a little bit more than we thought,” said Othello Coach Adolfo Coronado. “So we didn’t have to run a slow game, play a half-court game. I told them, ‘If you have a chance to go, go. Push the tempo, push the tempo.’ And when we did, we were successful. We built that lead in the first half.”

Grandview’s defense stiffened in the second half, and the Greyhounds also started finding the range. They cut the lead to 41-32 by the end of the third quarter.

“I think in the second half, we’re not used to being hunted down like that, from behind, little by little. So I think nerves got us a little bit. We kind of got out of that pushing the ball a little bit,” the coach said. “I told the girls in a timeout, ‘You guys look like you’re playing not to lose. You’ve got to play to win this game. You’ve got to do what got us here, what got us the lead.’ And they settled down a little bit.”

Grandview hit a three-point shot with about two minutes left in the game to cut Othello’s lead to four. But free throws from senior forward Briana Andrade and senior guard Annalee Coronado, along with an Othello defense that forced a turnover, put the game away.

“Hats off to Grandivew. They don’t quit,” Adolfo Coronado said. “They don’t give up, and they’re coached by a great coach.”

He said the Huskies played some good defense, and senior forward Rubi Mondragon said it’s the result of a lot of work.

“Every day in practice we work on our defense drills, every single day we just push through it,” Mondragon said. “And then we practice with the guys, and I think that helps us improve a lot.”

Annalee Coronado and Andrade scored 14 and 13 points respectively, and worked to keep the ball away from the Grandview defense.

“For me, it feels like a game of keep-away - don’t let them get the ball out of my hands,” Annalee Coronado said. “I try to think about when they’re coming towards me, so I know to cover it and take care of it, more than other times. And I look to find my teammates when I’m dribbling, because most times I have, like, three girls on me. So somebody’s going to be open, and I’m just trying to find them.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at [email protected].