Around school they are known as the Twin Towers.
Sometimes classmates randomly spout the shared nickname when the two vertically gifted girls walk by. A few students have asked the unusually tall seniors to pose for impromptu camera-phone photos.
“It’s not for basketball reasons,” said Brittany Tri, a 6-foot-1 post on the undefeated Lake Stevens High School girls basketball team. “They just like it because we’re tall.”
Either way, Tri and her front-court mate, 6-3 post Karri Gallagher, clearly garner lots of attention on and off the court. They possess a combination of size, athleticism and hustle that gives the Vikings a powerful advantage against most opponents.
Through last week’s games Gallagher, a Sacramento State recruit, and Tri have combined to average 23.8 points, 19 rebounds, 4.5 assists and about five blocks per game. It’s all helped Lake Stevens (4-0) emerge as one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference North Division.
Vikings coach Randall Edens understands how fortunate he is to have the productive combo on his side.
“Some teams can say they have one (talented post). To have two is a luxury,” Edens said.
Opposing coaches have struggled to find an answer for the duo. After his squad’s 31-point loss against Lake Stevens, Stanwood coach Dennis Kloke told The Herald the Spartans simply don’t have anyone who can match up against Tri and Gallagher.
Mountlake Terrace coach Deidra Ducheane said after the Hawks lost by 33 points against Lake Stevens, “They killed us with their post play.”
“It just allows us to do some different things that maybe other teams can’t really prepare for, with our size,” said Edens, the Lake Stevens coach.
There’s a stereotype that post players are slow and bulky, but Tri and Gallagher excel because they combine hustle and quickness with their height and power. After making the varsity team last season, both girls learned to hustle from end to end and make an impact in fast-break action as well as more deliberate offensive sets.
“They’ve done a real good job in adapting to the way we like to play,” Edens said. “We like to get up and down the floor (and) they know if they run the floor they’re going to get rewarded.”
The Wesco North opponents who seem most likely to slow down Gallagher and Tri are Snohomish (3-0 league, 4-1 overall), Oak Harbor (2-0, 4-0) and Marysville-Pilchuck (2-1, 5-1). Lake Stevens plays at M-P Wednesday and doesn’t take on Oak Harbor and Snohomish until Jan. 4 and Jan. 8, respectively.
Snohomish features three talented, experienced interior players: 6-1 junior Katie Benson, 6-1 sophomore Marjorie Heard and 6-0 senior Shante Scott. Forward Allison Burns, a 5-10 senior, can also compete in the paint.
It will be a fierce challenge for Gallagher and Tri, but one the teammates said they are ready to face together.
The two posts started playing together when they were sophomores on the junior varsity. They quickly developed a friendship, and their differences seem to complement their respective strengths.
On the court, Gallagher is the sturdy paint-prowling standout. Tri, a swimmer in the fall who has a narrower frame, can go inside but has a solid mid-range shot too.
Their personalities differ as well. Gallagher is the optimistic one, Tri said: “She’s really happy all the time, and I need that around me. I tend to not be happy.”
Right on cue, Gallagher, a former ballet dancer and gymnast, responded with a compliment that lifted Tri’s spirits.
Said Gallagher, “Her post moves — she (seems to) take 500 steps but never travels.”
Contact Herald Writer Mike Cane at mcane@heraldnet.com. For more high school sports news, check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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