By Chris Trujillo
Herald Writer
MOUNT VERNON – The Meadowdale Mavericks fought off a valiant second-half comeback by the Bellingham Red Raiders Saturday night, winning 70-62 in the Class 3A Northwest District girls basketball tournament played at Mount Vernon High School.
Sophomore Quinn Brewe scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the second half, which helped the Mavericks fend off a torrid Bellingham run. The Red Raiders, behind Lakesha Loder’s 17 points, turned a 22-point Meadowdale lead into a three-point deficit with 32 seconds remaining in the game.
Brewe, who pulled down 10 of Meadowdale’s 48 rebounds, scored 10 of the team’s 16 fourth-quarter points, including six consecutively. Anne Martin made two free throws and Jacci Baker made one free throw in the final seconds of the game to seal the victory.
“We knew what we had to do,” Brewe said. “We had a height advantage so we knew if we could outrebound them we’d be okay. I love banging around down there. It is my favorite thing to do.”
Meadowdale continues its postseason run against Lynden at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“We knew that they are a second-half team,” Meadowdale coach Karen Blair said. “I am very proud of the way our kids kept their poise and their confidence.”
The Red Raiders pulled to within 10 points early in the second quarter. That, however, was the closest they’d get in the first half. After going scoreless for nearly three minutes, the Mavericks made three consecutive baskets, the most damaging being back-to-back 3-point goals by Martin and Tara Jacob.
Meadowdale went on an 11-4 run in the final three minutes of the first half to take a 42-27 halftime lead.
Martin, who was 2-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc, led the Mavericks with 10 points at the break. Anne Dawson and Brewe followed with seven points apiece. Six-foot senior Jennie Swerk, who was 3-for-3 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds to lead Meadowdale.
An early Meadowdale defensive stand held Bellingham scoreless for three minutes in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Mavericks, behind two 3-pointers by reserve player Baker and six points from Swerk, went on a 7-0 run en route to a commanding 25-11 first-quarter lead.
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Bellingham-Miltenberger 3, Bergner 12, Hanson 15, Burt 11, Gardner 4, Loder 17. Meadowdale-Martin 16, Dawson 11, Baker 7, Brewe 21, Swerk 9, Hoffman 1. 3-Point goals-Hanson 2, Martin 2, Dawson 1, Baker 2, Jacob 1. Records-Bellingham 14-5 overall. Meadowdale-17-2.
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