Wildcats’ rally falls short against Tigers
Published 9:00 pm Monday, February 26, 2007
MOUNT VERNON – When your team starts three freshmen and two sophomores, there is bound to be some growing pains.
But after a little rest, a couple of tweaks and a lesson or two learned, you can bounce back.
That is the prescription for the Archbishop Murphy girls basketball team today after losing to Burlington-Edison 53-40 in a Class 2A District 1 winner-to-state game Monday night at Mount Vernon High School.
The Tigers opened the game with a 6-0 run, using a pressure defense to create transition baskets, and Burlington-Edison led 22-13 at the intermission.
“(In the first half) they were getting to the loose balls, and the defensive pressure kept us from getting into a flow offensively,” Archbishop Murphy coach John Barhanovich said. “They had a good defensive plan.”
Burlington-Edison (17-5 overall) plays Sehome, a 53-51 winner over Anacortes, for the Class 2A District 1 title at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Mount Vernon High School. Both teams advance to the state tournament.
Keri Arendse and Caitlin Dotlich each scored 14 points for Burlington-Edison and both were 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Archbishop Murphy (15-7) plays the winner of today’s contest between Granite Falls and Lynden in a loser-out game at 7:45 p.m. Thursday at Mount Vernon High School.
Freshman Sam Pettinger’s 14 points led the Wildcats and sophomore Alyssa Smith recorded a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The start of the second half looked much like the first. The Tigers opened with another 6-0 run to go ahead 28-13 before the Wildcats made a run of their own.
After back-to-back baskets by Smith and Pettinger, Archbishop Murphy’s defense buckled down, forcing two steals and a shot clock violation. Smith and Pettinger closed the third period with another basket apiece to cut the Tigers’ lead to 32-22 entering the final quarter.
Archbishop Murphy’s Shelby Lyman opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and a Pettinger layin followed to bring the Wildcats within six at 34-27. That was as close as the game would get.
After trading baskets and watching the clock dwindle down, the Wildcats gambled and started to foul.
They rolled snake eyes.
Burlington-Edison shot 17-for-18 from the free-throw line, including 15 in a row, to seal the victory.
The game wasn’t a total loss for Archbishop Murphy.
“We played better in the fourth quarter. The goal now is to start (Thursday night) the way we finished tonight. We’ll bounce back.” Barhanovich said.
At Mt. Vernon H.S.
Burlington-Edison9131021-53
Archbishop Murphy67918-40
B-E-Arendse 14, Brown 5, Berentson 4, Stewart 11, Dotlich 14, Thomas 5. Archbishop Murphy-Lyman 3, Bartholomew 9, Pettinger 14, Shober 1, Anderson 2, Smith 11. 3-point goals-Brown 1, Lyman 1, Bartholomew 1. Records-B-E 17-5 overall. A. Murphy 15-7.
