Glacier Peak wins in overtime
Published 11:01 pm Friday, February 18, 2011
BOTHELL — Olivia VanDlac stared down the biggest shot of her basketball career and it was wide open under the basket.
The Glacier Peak senior scored the game-tying basket as time expired, completing an unlikely comeback and giving the Grizzlies a new life in overtime after a roller coas
ter 3A District 1 championship contest.
“It was the scariest shot of my life,” VanDlac said.
But she delivered like it was any other layin.
With the hard part out of the way — overcoming a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit — the Grizzlies shined in overtime and dispatched Shorecrest 62-55 at Lynnwood High School Friday night.
The win gives Glacier Peak not only it’s first berth into the state tournament in the school’s three-year history, but a District 1 championship trophy, which a few weeks ago was all but unthinkable considering this team entered the tournament seeded fifth out of eight teams.
“It’s a little surreal,” said senior guard Becca Smith, who was third on her team with 11 points.
Katie Hawkins set up the game-tying bucket, which was the biggest in a game that seemed to be full of huge baskets.
Shorcrest’s Brianne Lasconia, who led all scorers with 17 points, missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity at the free-throw line and Hawkins wrestled two Scots for the rebound with less than 10 seconds to go in regulation.
The junior guard dribbled the length of the floor and dished to Taylor Rassmussen, who hit three 3s on the way to 12 points for the game. When the defenders collapsed on the 5-foot-3 guard, she found VanDlac as open as a player can be under the hoop. The senior gently kissed the ball off the glass as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
A raucous Shorecrest student section that had already declared, “I believe that we will win,” was stunned and the Glacier Peak faithful exploded.
“When we were down by 10, when we dug our selves a hole it looked like a different outcome,” Hawkins said. “I can’t even describe it right now. It’s so amazing.”
Shorecrest led 30-28 in the third quarter before running off a 13-2 spurt that spanned the quarter break and seemed to clinch the game for the Scot’s who were the tournament’s top seed.
“We weren’t being positive with each other,” Smith said of the third-quarter lapse. “If one person missed a shot, then we got angry with each other and it made everything spiral out of control.
“We realized we need to be positive with each other and that’s what brought us back tying it and then our momentum and positivity in the overtime led us to the victory.”
After a timeout with 4:30 to go in the game, coach Brian Hill huddled the girls and gave them a good inbound play.
Rasmussen hit a 3 off the inbound pass. The next trip down the court, Hawkins buried a 3 and suddenly the Grizzlies were within two possessions.
Shorecrest missed its final three free throws — two of which were the front end of one-and-ones.
The Scots were heartbroken after the game and a few left the court in tears, which is rather unusual for a non-elimination game.
“We really wanted to win because it’s easier to get to Tacoma (state quarterfinals) as a one seed than as a two.” Scots coach Dori Monson said.
Glacier Peak advanced to play Friday against District 2’s second seed at Marysville-Pilchuck H.S. A win there sends it to the Tacoma Dome.
Shorecrest plays at Bellevue CC against District 3/4’s third seed. The Scots have to win twice to advance to Tacoma.
At Lynnwood H.S.
Glacier Peak 11 7 10 25 9 — 62
Shorecrest 9 13 14 17 2 — 55
Glacier Peak—Hawkins 15, Smith 11, Rasmussen 12, Gaffney 2, Hill 0, Smith 0, VanDlac 7, Gere 7, Fausey 0, Weathersby 8. Shorecrest—Monson 0, Ruhlman 2, Lasconia 17, Jones 8, Schlachter 0, Jarius 3, Greenburg 6, Glesener 0, Uppinghouse 8, Matheson 10, Ibsen 1. 3-point goals—Rasmussen 3, VanDlac 1, Weathersby 1, Hawkins 2, Uppinghouse 1, Jones 2, Jaruis. Records—Glacier Peak 14-9 overall. Shorecrest 15-8.
