TACOMA — It’s been a long time coming for the Lynnwood girls basketball team.
Friday night, the Royals finally got to celebrate a berth in the state championship game.
Like it has done so many times this season, Lynnwood took care of business with a blowout victory. Bellevue, the Royals’ latest victim, fell behind early and couldn’t catch up as Lynnwood defeated the Wolverines 63-37 in a 3A state semifinal game to clinch the basketball program’s first opportunity for a state championship.
The Royals will face two-time defending champion Cleveland at 3 p.m. Saturday in the 3A championship game.
“I couldn’t ask for much more than to have a chance to represent our school and our league in a championship game,” Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards said. “… We’re very excited to play Cleveland. They’re trying to three-peat as champions so I’m sure they have all the motivation in the world to win. And so do we. We’re trying to make history as well. We’re trying to win a championship for Lynnwood High School. I couldn’t be more excited to play Cleveland (Saturday) for the championship.”
Lynnwood (24-2 overall), which has outscored opponents by an average of 30 points per game this season, has lost 11 games in the past four seasons. However, the state championship game has eluded the Royals — who finished third at last year’s tournament for the best finish in the program’s history.
This year, Lynnwood will top that mark regardless of what happens against Cleveland.
“I’m so excited. I have no words,” Lynnwood junior Jordyn Edwards said. “Last year we got third place and now we’ve got a chance to be a champion. It’s just an amazing feeling. I’m really excited.”
“It’s really exciting,” added Royals’ junior wing Mikayla Pivec. “A lot of people had some tears of joy in the locker room. We’re really looking forward to it.”
As it’s done so many times before, the Lynnwood defense clamped down on Bellevue, allowing just 12 points in the first half. On the other end of the floor, the Royals offense used a 22-0 run over the first two quarters to pull away early and build a 32-12 halftime lead.
Lynnwood held Bellevue (24-4) junior Shelby Cansler, who averages 15 points per game, to one field goal and seven points. Mandy Steward, the Wolverines’ second-leading scorer, netted six.
Tatiana Streun led Bellevue with eight.
“They have a very good team,” Everett Edwards said. “Their impact players, in my opinion, are Shelby Cansler and Mandy Steward. … We wanted to pay extra attention to them and have somebody else score their points and I think we executed that strategy.”
Jordyn Edwards and Pivec led the Royals with 15 points apiece. Edwards added eight assists and Pivec grabbed a team-high seven rebounds with Lynnwood sophomore Kelsey Rogers adding 12 points and five rebounds.
“They are our go-to kids, on both ends of the court,” Everett Edwards said. “Mik is just awesome and Jordan is fabulous and I love having them both play for me. They just really led us.”
Lynnwood lost three seniors after last season’s third-place finish, including starters Grace Douglas and Jasmine Edwards. But the Royals have picked up right where they left off and continued their recent run of success.
In the past four seasons Lynnwood has finished 24-2 (with Saturday’s game to play), 25-2, 22-2 and 19-5.
“We’ve had a good run the last couple of years,” Everett Edwards said. “We’ve played great basketball in the offseason. We’ve come together as a team and just played great team basketball. We’ve seen a lot of teams over the years, and we feel like we’re just as good as anybody if we play our style of basketball and we’ve been doing that for the last couple weeks. We’ve been playing pretty good basketball.”
Last season was the first trip to the Tacoma Dome for the Royals since 2010. While the team was proud of its third-place finish, last year served as a bit of motivation for Lynnwood’s returning players.
“I think we’re just really determined,” Jordyn Edwards said. “We’re trying to get one step further. I know me and Mikayla experienced almost getting to the championship game but not getting there quite yet. So, I think we have the determination and drive we need for this year.”
Pivec agreed, adding that the Royals were eager to “get over that hump.”
Lynnwood suffered one loss Friday night when senior wing Monty Cooper, who averages 10 points per game, injured her ankle five minutes into the game. Cooper had to be helped off the court and was on crutches after the game.
“We lost one of our warriors tonight,” Everett Edwards said. “Monty Cooper went down with a bad ankle sprain. I hope and pray that she’ll be OK (for Saturday), but it doesn’t look good. That being said, our team stepped up big time. Monty is a major part of what we do and I hope that she’s available to play (in the championship).”
At the Tacoma Dome
Bellevue 6 6 19 6 —37
Lynnwood 13 19 23 8 —63
Bellevue—Deja Rogers 5, Annika Prins 2, Elsa Park 0, Kathryn Roberts 2, Tatiana Streun 8, Morgan Maring 0, Mackenzie Keeter 5, Jessica Leslie 0, AnnMarie Jacobs 2, Mandy Steward 6, Shelby Cansler 7, Corinne Foster 0. Lynnwood—Madison Eyer 0, Reilly Walsh 4, Monty Cooper 0, Jordyn Edwards 15, Mikayla Pivec 15, Sarah Grant 0, Kelsey Rogers 12, Kaprice Boston 4, Taylor Fahey 3, Valerie Bell 0, Abby Yemane 0, Danielle Hayes 10. 3-point goals—Rogers 1, Keeter 1, Edwards 3, Hayes 2. Records—Bellevue 24-4. Lynnwood 24-2.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
