Lake Stevens stuns Jackson

Published 11:20 pm Tuesday, February 16, 2010

MILL CREEK — Most, if not all, high school basketball teams improve over the course of the season.

Few proved it as decisively as the Lake Stevens girls basketball team did Tuesday night.

Senior Stephanie Schumacher scored a game-high 18 points and Lake Stevens held Wesco South No. 2 seed Jackson scoreless for the entire second quarter on its way to a convincing 52-34 victory in the opening round of 4A District 1 girls basketball playoffs Tuesday night at Jackson High School.

After starting the season 1-4, Lake Stevens has now won 15 of its last 16 games.

“To be honest I think it’s a chemistry issue,” Schumacher said, crediting her team’s rapid turnaround with the players getting to know each other better. “… We weren’t that familiar with our two freshmen (Brittany and Brooke Pahukoa and the begining) … We all like each other.”

Brooke Pahukoa added 12 points for Lake Stevens, which plays Monroe in a winner-to-state semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

The Vikings lost by eight points to Jackson in their season opener, but were ahead by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter of this game.

Defense played a central role in Tuesday’s victory. The Vikings prevented entry passes to the post and forced 21 Jackson turnovers. As a result, Jackson posts Kristin Stofell (nine points) and Leigh-Ann Haataja (seven points) were held to a combined 16 points, after burning Lake Stevens for 38 combined points the first time the two squads met.

Senior Erin Feeney led Jackson with 10 points. The Timberwolves play Shorewood in a loser-out consolation game at 6 p.m. Thursday at M-P.

Trailing 15-7 in the first quarter, Lake Stevens went on a 24-0 run that spanned the end of the first and all of the second quarter, turning an eight-point deficit into a 16-point halftime lead.

“We compounded our own mistakes,” said Jackson head coach Jeannie Thompson, whose team shot just 10 of 49 from the floor on Tuesday. “To say it was uncharacteristic is an understatement. … They capitalized on it. Give Lake Stevens all the credit. We just struggled all night offensively. … It’s something we need to work on for Thursday and bounce back.”

As has become a habit this season, Lake Stevens fell behind early. The Vikings trailed 13-3 in the first quarter before rallying.

“We’ve joked about it with our kids that we should just put up 10 points on the scoreboard before we start playing,” Lake Stevens head coach Randall Edens said. “.. We’ve been in that situation so many times (this year) it doesn’t really affect us.”

At Jackson H.S.

Lake Stevens1219912—52

Jackson150811—34

Lake Stevens—Goddard 3, Puha 0, Peterson 6, Bostwick 1, Warbis 3, Ch. Burke 0, C. Burke 2, Schumacher 18, Molstre 5, Brit. Pahukoa 0, Bro. Pahuka 12, Wilson 2. Jackson—Gjertsen 0, Coacher 0, Feeney 10, K. McArthur 2, M. McArthur 3, Johnson 2, Bylsma 0, Guzman 0, King 1, Stoffel 9, Haataja 7. 3-pointers—Feeney 1, Goddard 1, Schumacher 2. Records—Lake Stevens 16-5 overall. Jackson 17-4.