E-W derailed by tough defense
Published 11:27 pm Thursday, March 3, 2011
TACOMA — With visions of a possible march to the state title bouncing around their heads going into this week, the stunned Edmonds-Woodway Warriors must suddenly revise their lofty goals.
Plagued by unusually poor free-throw shooting and its failure to consistently score against a tough, wel
l-organized defense, the Edmonds-Woodway High School girls basketball team lost 61-52 against the Lewis and Clark Tigers in a Class 4A girls basketball state quarterfinal game on Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.
Lewis and Clark (18-6) of the Greater Spokane League fell behind 36-34 in the third quarter but the bigger, more consistent Tigers closed the game with a 27-16 scoring run. They were ahead by double digits for much of the fourth quarter and maintained their cushion by shooting well at the foul line (20 of 29 overall).
Meanwhile, trips to the free-throw line were mostly disastrous for E-W (24-5). The Warriors missed 13 of their 18 foul shots — a huge factor in a game decided by nine points.
Junior guard Devyn Galland (20 points, four rebounds) was a star at the foul line for Lewis and Clark: She made 11 of 12 free throws to help ensure victory for the Tigers, who play Woodinville in the semifinals at 9 p.m. today. Woodinville beat Bellarmine Prep 49-39 in overtime on Thursday.
Knocked into the consolation bracket, E-W plays Bellarmine Prep in a loser-out game at 2 p.m. today.
Although it was largely an off night for many of E-W’s best scorers, senior forward Ashley Albertson had a big performance. She led the Warriors with 19 points and led all players with 12 rebounds. E-W’s only other double-digit scorer was point guard Madeline Kasper (11 points, two 3-pointers).
Although the first half was fairly even most of the way, Lewis and Clark began to pull away late in the second quarter and took a 33-26 lead to the intermission.
The Tigers took a nine-point lead, their largest of the half, when Galland made two free throws with 8.4 seconds to go in the second period. But E-W’s Kasper took the inbounds pass, dribbled the ball coast-to-coast and scored a left-handed layin that sent the Warriors to the locker room with a bit of momentum.
Through the first two quarters, Lewis and Clark was very efficient on offense. The Tigers were 13 of 25 from the field (52 percent) — much more accurate than E-W, which made 11 of its 28 field-goal tries (39.3 percent). E-W struggled from 3-point range (1-for-7) and the foul line (3-for-9).
During a promising first few minutes of the third quarter, Albertson scored inside, and Kasper and Woods nailed 3s, helping the Warriors go on top 36-34. But after that Lewis and Clark regrouped, clamped down on defense and pulled away.
Last year E-W placed fifth at state. It lost in the first round against eventual champion Auburn Riverside but finished with three consecutive wins, setting the stage for a possible state-title run this season. But now the Warriors, who returned all of their starters and key contributors from last season’s squad, can place no better than fourth place.
It is the second straight year E-W and Lewis and Clark played in the state tournament. A year ago, E-W beat the Tigers 56-53 in the consolation bracket. This year, though, Lewis and Clark got revenge and bumped the Warriors out of title contention.
At the Tacoma Dome
Edmonds-Woodway 13 13 11 15 — 52
Lewis and Clark 11 22 10 18 — 61
Edmonds-Woodway–Kasper 11, Eck, Nash 3, Kenney 5, Albertson 19, Donaldson 5, Woods 9. Lewis and Clark–Tampien 6, Arquette 12, Galland 20, Moravec 2, Howlett 3, Bishop, Hendricksen 12, Taka 6. 3-point goals–Kasper 2, Nash 1, Kenney 1, Woods 1, Tampien 2, Arquette 1, Galland 1 Howlett 1. Records–Edmonds-Woodway 24-5 overall. Lewis and Clark 18-6.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam and follow Cane on Twitter at MikeCaneHerald.
