LYNNWOOD — It was a quirky start to the basketball season Tuesday night for the Lynnwood girls team, with the Royals finding themselves trailing 2-0 to Meadowdale before any time had run off the clock.
It was all Lynnwood after that as the high-powered Royals routed the Mavericks 69-27 in both teams’ nonconference season-opener.
Lynnwood was whistled for a technical foul before the game began when wing Monty Cooper — who usually wears No. 3 and was in the official stat book and on the roster as wearing that number — came out dressed in No. 32. That was a rules violation and resulted in a technical foul assessed to Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards.
Meadowdale made two free throws before the clock even began to tick and then got the ball to start the game.
“It’s crazy,” Edwards said of the game’s start. “Monty Cooper is supposed to have No. 3, but there was an issue with the jersey, so we gave her No. 32. It’s completely my fault. That’s a crazy way to start a season, with a technical foul on the coach.”
Unfazed by the jersey snafu, Cooper proved effective for Lynnwood, scoring seven points in the first quarter when the Royals rolled to a 27-5 advantage. She finished with nine points and grabbed six rebounds.
Lynnwood sophomore Mikayla Pivec was a force with 21 points and 22 rebounds for the game.
“I thought one of the big differences in the game was Pivec,” Meadowdale coach Marcus Merrifield said. “She got on the offensive glass. She has a nose for the basketball.”
Pivec had a double-double by the end of the second quarter, when Lynnwood took a 41-14 lead into halftime. Meadowdale pieced together a little scoring run in the third, but the Royals came back late in the quarter and at the midway point of the fourth quarter had a 40-point lead on Meadowdale. The large lead initiated a running clock per Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules.
Jordyn Edwards had 12 points and five steals and her older sister Jasmin Edwards added 11 points and six more steals for a Lynnwood, which pressured Meadowdale the entire game.
“It’s no surprise. They’re a team that has an opportunity to make a lot of noise at the state tournament,” Merrifield said. “They’ve got kids who are plus-athletes all over the floor.”
Everett Edwards said it was a good start to the 2013-14 season for Lynnwood — except for the game’s odd beginning. He sees some room for improvement to work on throughout the season.
“It’s a good game to get our mojo going,” Edwards said. “We played good basketball, but not our best basketball. ? I think we had a good defense effort and nobody got hurt. It’s a good way to start the season.”
Jordyn Edwards took a hard fall to the floor after going up for a shot in the third quarter, but made a free throw and headed to the bench. She returned later in the game.
“Put a little dirt on it,” Everett Edwards said with a smile. “She’ll be all right.”
Lynnwood’s schedule gets difficult quickly with the Royals heading to the Nike Northwest Invitational in Beaverton, Ore., Thursday. Lynnwood will face some tough competition in the tournament, which features some of the Pacific Northwest’s top teams.
Tuesday, the Royals didn’t look past crosstown rival Meadowdale. Lynnwood’s defense allowed just one field goal in the first quarter and kept the Mavericks in check the rest of the way.
“It’s the first year ever in the Lynnwood rivalry with Meadowdale that the C team, JV team and varsity team all won against Meadowdale,” Edwards said. “It’s a great start for our entire program.”
Seniors Mackenzie Bretz and Jacyln Barhoum each had five points apiece for Meadowdale. Bretz added five rebounds. Fellow senior Ndey Sonko grabbed 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who face another Wesco 4A South team when they play Edmonds-Woodway on Saturday.
Merrifield liked what he saw in the second half from his Mavericks after challenging them during the break to stay strong and keep applying pressure on Lynnwood. He hopes to keep the positives continue into the Mavericks’ next game and beyond.
“The takeaway for us is we had some goals about limiting their second-chance opportunities. In the third quarter we did that and made a run, actually,” said Merrifield, who added it was the second time he’s seen a game start with free throws due to a uniform issue. “That’s what we wanted. ? We were able to refocus after a shot in the jaw in the first half.
“I’m excited,” Merrifield added. “It’s nice to get to play against someone other than ourselves. Nice to measure and see where we go.”
At Meadowdale H.S.
Lynnwood 27 14 18 10 — 69
Meadowdale 5 9 11 2 — 27
Lynnwood–Jasmin Edwards 11, Monty Cooper 9, Grace Douglas 5, Mikayla Pivec 21, Kelsey Rogers 4, Chelsea Tuiasosopo-Campbell 0, Hannah Valavala 2, Jordyn Edwards 12, Amina Donahoe 3, Danielle Hayes 2. Meadowdale–Ciarra Hart 3, Keely Hayes 2, Kassi Dotter 2, Kearstin Franco 0, Alexandria Steen 4, Angela Birchman 1, Madison Allen 2, Jaclyn Barhoum 5, Mackenzie Bretz 5, Ndey Sonko 3. 3-point goals–Ja. Edwards 1, Douglas 1, Jo. Edwards 1, Donahoe 1, Hart 1, Barhoum 1. Records–Lynnwood 1-0 overall. Meadowdale 0-1.
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