Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Kaitlin Giacone gave the Loggers a big spark off the bench once again on Thursday.

By Ray Hamill — The Eureka Loggers are headed back to the Dick Niclai Girls Basketball Tournament championship game after a hard-fought 55-46 win over Ferndale in Thursday night’s semifinal at College of the Redwoods.

The game was close throughout, but the Big 5 champs were able to pull away in the final three minutes to secure the win and send them on to another Niclai final, where they will play for a third consecutive tournament championship.

Friday’s final against Del Norte will be played at Lumberjack Arena, with tip off set for 6 p.m.

Thursday semifinal was a very entertaining showdown with the Wildcats giving the Eureka girls all they could handle for much of the night.

In the end, however, the Loggers’ depth was the difference with players like Kaitlin Giacone and Isis Poteet coming of the bench again to give their team a much-needed spark.

Mariah Napoleon and Amaya Gee each hit big baskets in the final few minutes to help put some breathing room between the two teams.

“Both teams were physical and it was a great game to watch,” Eureka head coach Cliff Napoleon said. “I think our depth played a big part in the outcome.”

Giacone was outstanding all night and scored a game-high 14 points in the win, giving her team a big lift off the bench late in the first quarter just as the Wildcats were starting to find their rhythm.

Poteet also stepped up with a couple of clutch free throws in the final minutes, as did Claire Maples, who hit a key basket late in the game to help keep Ferndale at bay.

Poteet finished with nine points, while Aniah Gaither had eight points, and Mariah Napoleon and Gee each chipped in seven.

Gee was forced to the bench after a hard fall in the opening quarter and the point guard’s absence was noticeable, but she returned in the second quarter and continued to play a key role for her team.

Mariah Napoleon also had a big say in the win, while playing a pivotal role in the paint on both sides of the ball.

The disciplined Wildcats, meanwhile, had a balanced team performance.

“We played our hearts out against Eureka tonight,” Ferndale head coach Terra Albee said. “The girls held their own against a much larger lineup and made them earn this win.”

Reaghan Langer scored a team-high 12 points in the loss and “did a nice job finishing at the rim,” according to the coach.

Emily Chavez and Kyle Albee each added 11 points, with Chavez scoring eight of her tally in the opening half and Albee scoring nine in the second half.

“Kyla’s shots in the second half were huge and she did a nice job defensively, rebounding and getting after loose balls,” the head coach said. “It was a great team effort.”

Chavez made some big 3-pointers, as did Carly Carmesin, who finished with nine points.

“It was a nail-biter the entire time,” Cliff Napoleon said. “(The Wildcats) were on fire tonight. They played hard defense and they made it tough for us. That’s how they play and we knew it coming in.”

With the loss, the Ferndale girls dropped to 18-7 on the season and they will now turn their attention to the North Coast Section playoffs, which get under way next week.

The Cats are the No. 1 ranked Division-6 team in the NCS and in the state and could be in line for a deep playoff run.

The playoff brackets and seeds will be announced on Sunday.

The Loggers, meanwhile, improved to 23-5 and will try to complete a second straight Big 5 and Niclai championship double when they play Del Norte on Friday night.

The two teams split a pair of league matchups this season.

“It’s going to be a battle,” Cliff Napoleon said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, we’ve just got to do our best. It’s going to be a battle. (Del Norte coach) Justin (Clifton’s) got them playing well right now.”

Friday’s Niclai championship game will be broadcast live on MIX 95.1 FM and KPOD 97.9 FM, as well as through DelNorteSports.com.