TACOMA — There will be a new 3A state champion.
Despite the Lynnwood Royals’ best efforts.
In a clash of two nationally ranked teams that many believe came one night early, Bellevue pulled away late as the defending 3A state champions suffered their first defeat of the season in a 73-60 loss to the Wolverines in a 3A state semifinal game Friday night at the Tacoma Dome.
“It was a situation that it was a very competitive game,” said Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards. “The first half kind of went about the way that I thought it would. I think it was late in that third quarter … (that) they had a couple players step up and hit some big shots. And I think they were all 3’s. They got separation and with that separation we had a tough time getting back into the game.”
The game was back and forth through the first three quarters until Bellevue hit two quick 3-pointers at the end of the third to take a 46-40 lead. The Wolverines continued their hot shooting into the fourth, putting up 27 points in the final period as Bellevue began to pull away.
Senior Anna Wilson, a new addition for Bellevue this season, led a balanced Wolverines’ scoring attack with 16 points. Shelby Cansler scored 14 and Mackenzie Keeter and Tatiana Streun added 12 points each for Bellevue.
“You can’t take away everybody,” Edwards said. “We felt we had a really good scout on Bellevue. They had some kids hit some shots. I kind of can’t wait to see the film — it was all kind of a blur. Credit goes to them. They made the plays when it came up.”
The game featured two teams ranked in the top 25 nationally by MaxPreps.com. Lynnwood (26-1) is ranked No. 11 by the website’s computer rankings, with Bellevue (29-0) three spots behind. However, in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, Bellevue (No. 13) checks in two spots ahead of Lynnwood (No. 15).
“We were looking forward to it a lot,” said Lynnwood senior Mikayla Pivec. “Was hoping it would be a state championship game but it is what it is and it was a good game.
“It’s not where (the game was in the season), it was more that we lost and that’s extremely disappointing because we really wanted that state championship. But I felt like we fought hard. The ball just didn’t bounce for us this time.”
Pivec led the Royals with 20 points and nine rebounds. The senior wing, who has signed with Oregon State, shot 9 of 19 from the field in the contest.
“Mikayla is just an athlete,” said Bellevue head coach Leah Krautter. “When I was writing up the scouting report I’m going, ‘She can shoot, she can drive, she can rebound, she can pull up, she can handle the ball, she can post up, she can do everything.’”
Like Lynnwood, Krautter and the Wolverines had been looking forward to Friday night’s showdown for awhile — since last year’s state tournament to be exact. The Royals defeated Bellevue 63-37 in the semifinals last season on their way to a 3A state title.
But with the addition of Wilson, the younger sister of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson who is committed to Stanford, and Todd Beamer transfer Quinessa Caylao-Do who is committed to Colorado, Bellevue found more success against Lynnwood this time around.
“We were excited to play them again,” Krautter said. “We have a different type of team this year, a lot of different girls and we’ve been playing a different type of game. We knew our chances were a lot better than last year. We felt like we had a little something to prove also.”
Senior Jordyn Edwards scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds for Lynnwood in the rematch and junior Kaprice Boston added 11 points and four rebounds for the Royals, who hope to bounce back Saturday in the third/fifth-place game against Kamiakin.
“We’re excited to have an opportunity to play (Saturday) and we’re glad, for our seniors, that this is not their last game and that their last game will not be a loss,” Everett Edwards said. “We are going to shake this off and we are going to be ready to play (Saturday) and attempt to get a third-place trophy.”
At Tacoma Dome
Bellevue 14 15 17 27 —73
Lynnwood 13 15 12 20 —60
Bellevue—Tatiana Streun 12, Quinessa Caylao-Do 5, Mackenzie Keeter 12, Anna Wilson 16, Shelby Cansler 14, Annika Prins 8, Ann-Marie Jacobs 6, Carlie Gilbert 0, Katherin Parrish 0. Lynnwood—Reilly Walsh 9, Jordyn Edwards 12, Mikayla Pivec 20, Kelsey Rogers 4, Kaprice Boston 11, Taylor Fahey 4, Rachel Walsh 0. Records—Bellevue 29-0. Lynnwood 26-1.
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