Everett girls roll past Cascade 50-34 in annual Bru-Gull Fest
Published 10:22 pm Friday, December 4, 2015
EVERETT — With the Everett girls basketball team trailing Cascade 29-22 four minutes into the second half, first-year Seagulls head coach Luther Weathersby knew it was time to get forward Sydney Taggart more involved.
He moved Taggart, a 6-foot senior and four-year varsity player, from running the baseline against the Bruins zone defense to a low-post position. The switch paid off brilliantly as Taggart, who had just two free throws in the first 21/2 quarters, tossed in 16 points the rest of the way to lift Everett to a 50-34 comeback victory Friday night in the annual Bru-Gull Fest.
The Seagulls also took advantage of an 18-0 scoring burst from the mid-third quarter to the mid-fourth, and Taggart had 14 of those points.
“We just powered the ball into Syd,” Weathersby said. “We made it an in-close game because we were missing a lot of our (perimeter) shots. I said, ‘We’ve got to get her going somehow,’ so we got her in close to the basket and she made a couple of gimmees.
“That got her going, and then other girls get involved when she gets going because she’s kind of the spark.”
The Seagulls had just five field goals in the first half and all were either layins or offensive putbacks. Three of those field goals came in the first three minutes, meaning they had just two more field goals over the final 13 minutes of the opening half.
Everett’s second half started slowly as well, but then Taggart took over. She scored three baskets in the space of 90 seconds, added two free throws later in the quarter, and then capped the period by hurling a long pass to teammate Erin Gordan for a breakaway layin at the end of the period.
Taggart had three more field goals early in the fourth quarter and added one more in the late moments, giving her a total of 18.
At the outset, Taggart said, “it was frustrating because my shots weren’t falling like normal, but I just had to push through. … We started off kind of slow, but in the second half we picked up the pace. We had greater intensity and we just started playing (better).”
Post Alexis Rutter added 13 points for the Seagulls, who evened their record at 1-1 after a season-opening loss to Kamiak.
Everett also showed its defensive prowess over the game’s final 12 minutes, holding the Bruins to just five points and one field goal.
“We’re trying to jell,” Weathersby said. “(We have) a new coach and a new system … so it’s good to get the win. We needed this one.”
Looking ahead, he added, “I think we’re going to be better at the end (of the season). When we get to the stretch part of our season we’re going to come on, I really believe that. Arlington and Stanwood are standouts (in the Wesco 3A North), but I think we’re right there after them. … I’m excited about this group, I really am.”
The Bruins, who started the game well — they led 15-8 after one quarter — were led by senior guard Vy Nguyen with 14 points.
At Cascade H.S.
Everett 8 11 13 18 —50
Cascade 15 7 7 5 —34
Everett—Erin Gordan 6, Megan Dedrick 6, Marlena Urvater 0, Sydney Taggart 18, Taylor Wold 0, Whitney Harris 2, Lauren Burgess 0, Brittany Pedigo 0, Kate Pohland 5, Alexis Rutter 13. Cascade—Katie Valenzuela 1, Caitlynn Daniel 0, Vy Nguyen 14, Jessica Welch 6, Anneka Hilde 4, Lexi Strike 1, Casey Lauritsen 6, Brooke Alcayaga 2. Records—Everett 1-1. Cascade 0-2.
