BOTHELL — Glacier Peak came into Wednesday night’s game against Lynnwood riding a school record 12-game winning streak.
After facing the No. 1 3A team in the latest Associated Press poll, the Grizzlies now find themselves starting back at zero.
In a highly anticipated matchup, Lynnwood defeated No. 2 Glacier Peak 58-33 in a Wesco 3A South contest at Lynnwood High School that featured two of the top teams in the state.
The loss was Glacier Peak’s first of the season.
“We played them well for the first half and then I thought we came out a little bit flat in the third quarter and I knew they were going to come out after us,” said Glacier Peak head coach Brian Hill. “… We turned the ball over, uncharacteristically, from what we did in the first half and they capitalized on it. They go from being up three or four to being up 10.”
The Grizzlies kept it close through the first half, exchanging leads with Lynnwood and trailing 26-23 at halftime.
In the second half it was a different story. The Royals turned up their defensive pressure and allowed just 10 points in the final two quarters, pulling away from Glacier Peak.
“They played us very tight in the first half,” said Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards. “In the second half we were able to get out and cause a couple turnovers and get out in transition and score some buckets. But it was a grind. The score does not show how competitive the game was. Coach Hill had his girls ready to go.”
Lynnwood started the second half with a 13-2 run to begin to pull away and continued to add to its lead throughout the final two periods as the Royals (4-0 league, 13-0 overall) raced to their 13th victory of the season.
All of which have come by 17 or more points.
“I’m happy that it didn’t end up being a close game. I’m glad that we were able to stretch it out because that helps me with my heart and helps with all the hair that I have,” Edwards said with a laugh. “It was a situation where the girls really fought in the second half and we competed in the second half. Glacier Peak wasn’t going to give us anything. We had to take it.”
Both teams were excited for the game, which featured two of the top teams in the state. As a result, the offenses were a little bit off in the first quarter as both teams tried to settle down.
“It was awesome. We were looking forward to this game for awhile and with the amazing crowd that we had it was just a super-good feeling,” said Lynnwood junior Jordyn Edwards. “It was amazing. I was a little bit nervous.”
Edwards led all scorers with 17 points. But it was her defense — where she grabbed five steals — that really helped Lynnwood down the stretch.
“She is just a force on the defensive end,” said Everett Edwards, Jordyn’s father. “She sets the tone for us defensively. We love the fact that she’s able to score and she’s a great passer but her defense is just tenacious and sets the tone for our team.”
The younger Edwards enjoys making a difference on the defensive side of the ball.
“I love defense. It’s my favorite part of basketball,” Jordyn Edwards said. “I try to anticipate passes and see where the ball is going. I love that part of the game.”
Mikayla Pivec had another strong performance for Lynnwood notching a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The star junior added six assists, passing the ball with Glacier Peak’s defense bearing down on her.
“It’s big to have everybody involved,” Pivec said. “If one player is being keyed on I know we have other people that can make big shots.”
Despite the big win, Pivec said the Royals will continue to focus and work hard to reach their final goal: a state championship.
“Just try to improve each day,” Pivec said. “The ultimate goal is a state championship and that’s what we’re going for.”
Kayla Watkins led Glacier Peak (4-1, 12-1) with nine points and 11 rebounds. Watkins battled down low with Pivec and Kelsey Rogers and helped the Grizzlies outrebound Lynnwood 19-15 in the first half.
“She played a great game,” Hill said of Watkins. “She will help us in a game like this because we’ll have a little more size. She did good on their bigs. Their pressure just got to us a little bit.”
It was the first meeting between the two teams since a winner-to-regionals game on Feb. 21, 2012 that Glacier Peak won 48-46. That season, the two were once again league rivals, with Glacier Peak winning the season series 3-1 (the teams played twice in the district tournament, with the Grizzlies winning both contests).
Three of the four games in the 2011-12 season were decided by three points or less.
Lynnwood and Glacier Peak meet again on Feb. 6 and Hill is hoping for a vintage Grizzlies-Royals matchup the next time around.
“We get another chance at them and I like what we did the first half,” Hill said. “If we can play a full game like we did the first half, maybe it could be a little bit more competitive than what 58-33 looks like — 58-33 doesn’t look very competitive. But I think we were more competitive than that.
“I’m glad we got a game like this thought. We didn’t win now, that’s fine. If we can win later, that’s great.”
At Lynnwood H.S.
Glacier Peak 12 11 7 3 —33
Lynnwood 14 12 15 17 —58
Glacier Peak—Paisley Johnson 5, Samatha Fatkin 6, Sadie Mensing 6, Kayla Watkins 9, Natalie Rasmussen 5, Charlie Sevenants 0, Sierra Nash 0, Kianna Garner 2. Lynnwood—Madison Eyer 0, Reilly Walsh 4, Monty Cooper 4, Jordyn Edwards 17, Mikayla Pivec 15, Kelsey Rogers 11, Kaprice Boston 4, Taylor Fahey 2, Dani Hayes 1. 3-point goals—Johnson 1, Fatkin 1, Rasmussen 1, Edwards 3. Records—Glacier Peak 4-1 league, 12-1 overall. Lynnwood 4-0, 11-0.
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