SNOHOMISH — The Edmonds-Woodway girls basketball team had already proven it could blow out opponents. On Tuesday the Warriors had to show they could finish.
After leading by as many as 14 points late in the third quarter, Edmonds-Woodway endured a major challenge from the Glacier Peak Grizzlies. Abby Butler’s fast-break layin and Alex Kenney’s two free throws in the final 15 seconds helped lift E-W to a 52-48 triumph in a Western Conference South Division game.
Coming into the contest, Edmonds-Woodway outscored foes by an average of 19.9 points per game. This time the first-place Warriors (7-0 in league and ranked No. 9 in Class 4A by the Tacoma News Tribune) worked until the end.
“Quite frankly we hadn’t been in that situation and hadn’t worked on closing out the game yet. I thought our girls didn’t panic and I thought Glacier Peak made some really big shots,” Edmonds-Woodway assistant coach Gail Pintler said.
Glacier Peak (4-3 Wesco South, 5-4 overall) was down 38-24 with 1 minute to go in the third quarter. But the 3A Grizzlies roared back by taking better care of the ball and using effective full-court defensive pressure that helped them generate baskets.
“We just tried to change a few things up,” Glacier Peak head coach Brian Hill said. “We decided to come out in full-court man (defense). That kind of got us moving a little bit faster.”
Glacier Peak started the fourth quarter with a 16-5 scoring run, slicing a 12-point deficit to one. Hannah Freitas’ layin for Glacier Peak made it 45-44 with 1:01 to go.
“Luckily at the end we stepped up at the free-throw line,” said Pintler, who watched Edmonds-Woodway make 5 of 7 foul shots down the stretch.
Guard Jennifer Singh led E-W with 13 points and three 3-point baskets, all in the first three quarters. She also had three steals.
Glacier Peak’s increased energy in the final period made an impact but it made E-W focus more in the closing minutes, said Singh: “The intensity made us really realize that we had to buckle down.”
Glacier Peak’s Freitas got locked in during the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of her team-high 13 points. Powerful forward Marjorie Heard, who sat out most of the second quarter after committing her second foul, also made an impact for Glacier Peak. Heard scored six of her 12 points in the fourth and finished with eight rebounds.
Freitas’ hot shooting was a promising sign, her coach said. “I just told her (after the game) it was nice to have her back,” coach Hill said. “She’d had a rough couple of games. Usually I’m very confident in her shooting ability.”
Freitas swished two 3-pointers that fired up her teammates and Glacier Peak fans. On the second shot she pulled up from about 2 feet behind the line and got the Grizzlies to within 45-42.
Frequently sparked by reserve post Sydney Donaldson, Edmonds-Woodway built a 26-17 advantage by halftime. Donaldson, a smooth-shooting 5-foot-11 sophomore, scored 10 points in the first two quarters, leading all players.
“Sydney probably played as well as she has” this season, Pintler said.
E-W’s offense struggled in the first quarter, going 5-for-16 from the field. But Donaldson hit three mid-range jump shots in the final 2 minutes of the period.
Kenney, a sophomore guard, had a solid all-around performance for E-W. She had nine points, eight rebounds and three steals. Angela Woods, the Warriors’ season-leading scorer, tallied just three points but contributed six rebounds and four assists.
At Glacier Peak H.S.
E-W11151412—52
G. Peak1161120—48
Edmonds-Woodway—Kasper 1, Butler 10, Kenney 9, Singh 13, Woods 3, Donaldson 10, Albertson 6, Stafford. Glacier Peak—Granger 2, Hawkins 2, Smith 5, Freitas 13, Heard 12, Rasmussen 10, VanDlac 1, Gillie 1, Hill 2. 3-point goals—Kenney 1, Singh 3, Freitas 2, Rasmussen 3. Records—Edmonds-Woodway 7-0 in division, 8-1 overall. Glacier Peak 4-3, 5-4.
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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