LYNNWOOD — The Lynnwood girls basketball team has enjoyed quite the run of success in recent years.
And the Royals’ accomplishments in that time aren’t just because of seniors Jordyn Edwards and Mikayla Pivec. But it hasn’t hurt having the pair of Division-I commits on the court.
Edwards and Pivec, the Royals’ two seniors who have gone 91-6 over the last four years at Lynnwood, celebrated their senior night in style with the duo combining for 36 points in Lynnwood’s 79-49 Wesco 3A South win over league rival Glacier Peak Friday night at Lynnwood High School.
The win clinches a league title for the Royals — their sixth in a row.
“It’s been huge (having Pivec and Edwards),” said Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards. “Since their freshman year, we’ve been playing at a high level. They’ve had great teammates and great teams in support of them to teach them the work ethic. Just to have great teams is something that we’ve been blessed with for the past five to six years now. It’s a situation for them, we really wanted this game tonight. Much respect to Glacier Peak and their team but this was a night that we didn’t want to lose this game. We wanted to win this game.
“We got the storybook ending, as far as winning on senior night.”
Lynnwood showed its desire right off the bat, jumping out to a 12-3 lead after an impassioned pregame speech by Edwards celebrating his two seniors — including Jordyn, his daughter.
“Whenever he starts crying it just gets me,” Jordyn said. “He’s usually not as emotional — my mom’s kind of the more emotional one — so when he cries I cry.”
Jordyn, who will play at Colorado State next year, finished with 17 points and four steals and Pivec, an Oregon State commit, netted 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and five steals. The pair first played together in fifth grade and helped bring the Royals their first-ever basketball state championship last season.
It was a weird feeling for Pivec, playing her second-to-last game at Lynnwood (the Royals will host a 3A first-round district game next Saturday).
“Jordyn and I share a special bond. We’ve been playing together for so long,” Pivec said. “We played in fifth grade together and then off and on ever since. It’s bittersweet. It’s kind of weird that I’m getting old now. I remember when I was a freshman I was like, ‘Oh, I’m never going to have senior night.’ Now it’s here and I’m looking forward to finishing this season strong. Hopefully we can get another district title next and, hopefully, state after.”
The seniors led the Royals to a 44-25 lead at the end of the first half and then the juniors stepped up for Lynnwood (11-0, 19-0), the No. 1 team in the latest Associated Press 3A poll. Guard Kaprice Boston finished with a game-high 23 points and Reilly Walsh added 12 points and three steels for the Royals.
“(Boston’s) so fast and has amazing hops. It’s awesome,” Jordyn Edwards said. “I’m really proud of her and I’m excited to watch all the juniors, especially her, play next year.”
“It’s really contagious,” Pivec added. “If one person hits a shot, everybody else wants to work that much harder on defense to get another steal and another bucket.”
Glacier Peak (8-3, 14-5), which fell to Lynnwood 60-54 in their first matchup of the season on Jan. 13, was hindered by the loss of starting point guard Samantha Fatkin. Fatkin, a junior, is out for the rest of the season after injuring a tendon in her foot.
Everett Edwards and the Royals hoped to amp up the defensive pressure in Fatkin’s absence, and were able to get to the Grizzlies’ offense.
“Without her it’s a situation that we felt we could pick up the pressure a little bit more than what we did the last time we played them,” Edwards said. “Obviously, they’re not at 100 percent losing their point guard but tonight was a night that we wanted to play Lynnwood basketball.”
Abbie Juozapaitis led Glacier Peak with nine points and Sierra Nash and Kayla Watkins added seven points apiece for the Grizzlies.
“It is a fun rivalry,” Jordyn Edwards said. “We always look forward to playing each other. We know it’s going to be a (good) competition. I’m glad we got this win but they have amazing players.”
Pivec and Edwards, who have never lost a home game at Lynnwood during the regular season in their four years with the Royals, hope to finish their final high school campaign the same way they ended last year’s.
With a state championship.
“You have a little checklist,” Pivec said. “First, you go league, district and then hopefully you can go to state.”
Said Edwards: “It’s awesome so far. Our goal is to have an undefeated season. This was a good win for us and on our last home game it was all perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
At Lynnwood H.S.
Glacier Peak 10 15 9 15 —49
Lynnwood 24 20 20 15 —79
Glacier Peak—Addison Sande 3, Paisley Johnson 6, Lauren Iredale 0, Charlie Sevenants 4, Kayla Watkins 7, Natalie Rasmussen 3, Maya McFadden 4, Sierra Nash 7, Makayla Guerra 6, Nicole Jensen 0, Abbie Juozapaitis 9. Lynnwood—Reilly Walsh 12, Rachel Walsh 3, Jordyn Edwards 17, Mikayla Pivec 19, Kelsey Rogers 5, Valerie Bell 0, Kaprice Boston 23, Taylor Fahey 0, Abby Douglas 0, Kia Crawford 0. Records—Glacier Peak 8-3 league, 15-4 overall. Lynnwood 11-0, 19-0.
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