Prep girls basketball: Lake Stevens 63, Jackson 43

EVERETT— Lake Stevens freshman Kylee Griffen posted a double-double in her first career district playoff game with 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Vikings to a 63-43 win over Jackson in a 4A District 1 semifinal game Saturday night at Everett Community College.

The Vikings will face Snohomish in the district championship game at 6:15 p.m. Thursday back at EvCC.

“There’s no pressure from us. I told her, ‘You’re in the best spot possible because, as a freshman, you’re not going to hear one critical word from me. You get to go play,’” Edens said. “It took her a little while. It’s natural to be in defer mode because you have upper classmen who have done it before.

“We had a conversation about six or seven games ago where I said, ‘The reason you’re here with us is because of what we’ve seen before the season. Go be that player for us.’ Ever since then she’s been that. It’s been fun to watch.”

Jackson hung with Lake Stevens for the first three quarters, trailing 48-38 after the third. But the Timberwolves, who shot 7-for-25 from behind the 3-point arc, were unable to keep up with the Vikings late.

Senior Emily Vandergrift added 16 points and five rebounds for Lake Stevens (18-3 overall), which outrebounded Jackson 48-22 in the contest.

Drew Locknane (13 points) and Olivia Miller (10) led Jackson (9-13), which will face Mount Vernon at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a loser-out game at EvCC.

Lake Stevens 63, Jackson 43

At Everett Community College

Jackson 616165 –43

Lake Stevens17151615–63

Jackson–Olivia Miller 10, Kaylei Werner 0, Emily Brown 3, Imari Clinton 5, Kelsie McKay 8, Drew Locknane 13, Mackenzie Conrad 4, Kassaundra Jackson 0. Lake Stevens–Alex Briggs 8, Emma Smith 4, Kristen Glick 3, Anna Lundquist 0, Riley O’Toole 0, Anna Dominick 0, Marissa Walton 2, Emily Vandergrift 16, Kylee Griffen 21, Hailey Wilson 9. 3-point goals–Milller 1, Brown 1, Clinton 1, McKay 2, Locknane 2, Briggs 1, Smith 1, Glick 1. Records–Jackson 9-13. Lake Stevens 18-3.