LYNNWOOD – Nobody could convince coach Dan Taylor that Tuesday was just another game night for the Meadowdale High School girls basketball team.
Since Meadowdale last played a game, longtime coach Karen Blair had resigned amid controversy and Taylor became the successor despite never having coached at the varsity level.
And, oh yeah, his first opponent was defending state champion Garfield. Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald
Just another ballgame, huh?
“Tell me about it,” Taylor said.
All that hovered over the program the past several months disappeared Tuesday when the Mavericks went back to what they’ve done best.
Unfurling their trademark defense, balanced scoring and a crucial touch at the free-throw line when it mattered most, Meadowdale beat Garfield 71-63 in the opener for both teams.
“It was great to get this under our belts and give us confidence,” Taylor said. “Not just for myself, but for the girls in the sense that we beat a high-ranking team.”
Garfield has lost twice the past two seasons, both times to Meadowdale.
Afterward, Taylor was a picture of relief and the reason was understandable. Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald
He had taken over a program that had won 255 games and reached the state tournament 10 times in 11 years under Blair, who now is coaching at Ballard. Blair resigned last spring, citing the behavior of some parents and a lack of support from school administrators.
“My first job was to try to build relationships with the girls, especially with them being with a coach who had built such a great program,” Taylor said. “I came into what I feel like is a dynasty. These girls have a lot of great things ahead of them and I wanted to make sure I built the right relationship from the start. From there, we just moved forward.”
They got back to basketball Tuesday and did it impressively.
Garfield led by three points early in the third quarter before Meadowdale went on an 11-1 run and never trailed again. The Mavericks led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter before the Bulldogs made a late surge that cut the margin to six.
In the end, free throws saved the Mavericks, who made 10 of 12 in the final 1 minute, 26 seconds. Marelle Moehrle, a junior guard who finished with 13 points, made all eight of her free throws in the second half, including six in the final minute and a half.
Caitlyn Rohrbach, a 6-foot senior center, led a balanced Meadowdale offense with 16 points. Sophomore guard Eryn Jones scored 15 and senior guard Latrina Woods 11.
“It was all about team play,” Taylor said. “Nobody outshone anybody else. That’s what it’s all about here, we’re a team.”
Meadowdale’s defense made a difference during the decisive third-quarter run, when it converted several steals into baskets.
“Our girls play hard,” Taylor said. “They communicate and they work their tails off on defense.”
Junior guard LaCale Pringle led Garfield with 17 points and was a factor in the Bulldogs’ late surge to pull within six points late in the game, but she fouled out with 1:10 remaining.
By then, Meadowdale had hit its free-throw rhythm and maintained its margin to win a game that showed the program hasn’t stumbled. Taylor, though, knows not to make too much of it.
“No, because I feel like there are teams in the Wesco that will give us a run for our money,” he said. “But getting a win like this will boost our confidence.”
At Meadowdale H.S.
Garfield13161123-63
Meadowdale13151419-71
Garfield-Pringle 17, Lewis 16, Kendrick 6, Frieson 15, Brooks 5, Finley 2, Wilkinson 2. Meadowdale-Rohrbach 16, Woods 11, Jones 15, Moehrle 13, Smith 3, Fjortoft 9, Draper 2, Wood 2. 3-point goals-Lewis 2, Woods, Jones, Moehrle, Fjortoft. Records-Meadowdale 1-0 overall, Garfield 0-1.
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