STANWOOD — Sierra Palmer hit two free throws with seconds remaining to give the Stanwood girls basketball team a one-point lead and the 54-53 Wesco 3A crossover win over Meadowdale on Wednesday night, snapping the Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak.
The Spartans fought back from a nine-point deficit at halftime to lead by as many as eight in the fourth quarter. They then gave up that lead, necessitating clutch play from both Palmer and Rachel Swartz to pull out the win.
Stanwood head coach Dennis Kloke said his team “squandered” the fourth quarter lead, but he had confidence in his team.
“They respond to pressure pretty doggone well. … I don’t like getting into that situation, but I’m proud of the girls for coming through,”
Swartz, who got into early foul trouble and had to sit for significant time in both halves, came through in the fourth quarter. She had 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals in the game. Kloke called all four of the assists “big,” and three of them came in the fourth quarter, while two of the steals came after the Spartans had lost their fourth-quarter lead.
Stanwood sits at the top of the Wesco 3A North and has yet to lose a league game, but Kloke acknowledged his team has its ups and downs.
“We played well at times and didn’t play well at times. We are a young team that kind of goes hot and cold. The last few games we’ve gotten hot at the right times at the end of the game and made some plays.”
At Stanwood H.S.
Meadowdale1514717—53
Stanwood10101519—54
Meadowdale—Keely Hayes 0, Sara Fjortoft 2, Kearstin Franco 0, Alyssa Reuble 11, Jaclyn Barhoum 0, Julianne Kossian 3, Mackenzie Bretz 9, Madison Parker 13, Ndey Sonko 15. Stanwood—Sierra Palmer 7, Julia Heichel 0, Samantha Powell 10, Haley Strowbridge 9, Jillian Jacobs 8, Janea Taylor 2, Rachel Swartz 8, Tristan Murphy 10. 3-point goals—Kossian 1, Bretz 1, Parker 3, Palmer 1, Powell 2, Strowbridge 3, Jacobs 2. Records—Meadowdale 5-3 league, 10-5 overall. Stanwood 8-0, 12-2.
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