MILL CREEK – Kristi Kingma already had proven she can score and pass. She’s turned into a pretty tenacious rebounder, too.
Kingma had a stellar all-around game for the Jackson Timberwolves, who held off a late comeback attempt by the Monroe Bearcats to win 49-47 Wednesday night in a non-division girls basketball game at Jackson High.
Kingma, a 5-foot-10 junior point guard, tallied 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to lead Jackson (2-0 overall), ranked No. 5 in the WashingtonPreps.com preseason 4A state rankings, over No. 8 Monroe (0-2).
Kingma, who scored eight in the pivotal third quarter, made two free throws with 12 seconds remaining to give Jackson a five-point cushion and essentially seal the victory. Instead of talking about her own performance, she raved about her teammates.
“We got the win ‘cause of my teammates tonight. They really stepped up and did everything they could to win,” Kingma said.
Michelle Addington (11 points, eight rebounds), Ashly Bruns (11 points) and Erin Feeney made big contributions. Feeney, a freshman, came off the bench to score six points, including a clutch 3-point basket from the right wing that ended a 5-0 Monroe run and put Jackson on top 47-41 with 1:35 remaining.
If Feeney was afraid, she sure didn’t show it.
“To be a freshman and be on varsity you have to be fearless,” Kingma said. “You can’t be afraid of anything. … Clutch shot (by Feeney), and I give her all the credit in the world.”
Monroe cut the deficit to 49-47 with three seconds to play when Keena Hopkins (12 points) made her second long 3-pointer in a 38-second span. But the Bearcats didn’t have any timeouts remaining and Kingma dribbled out the clock.
“They might be the best team in Wesco,” Monroe coach Alan Dickson said of Jackson, which put together a key 12-2 run in the third quarter. Kingma scored eight during the spurt, helping Jackson go ahead by eight.
The game featured a marquee, point-guard matchup of Kingma and Monroe’s Sarah Morton, a University of Washington recruit coming off of a knee injury. After scoring just two points in Monroe’s season opener on Monday, Morton bounced back with 17 to lead the Bearcats.
“My teammates just helped me because they were running the court so it made me want to pick up the (pace)” said Morton, who did not practice Tuesday because of an illness. She did not start the game, but erupted for 10 of her 13 first-half points during an impressive second quarter, scoring six during Monroe’s 7-0 half-closing run that pulled the Bearcats into a 28-28 tie at intermission.
Jackson’s Kingma said she had mixed emotions about facing Morton.
“I hate going against her,” Kingma said. “But at the same time I love it. I love the battle.”
Kingma scored 12 in the second half and repeatedly hit the boards, often ripping the ball away from bigger players. Jackson coach Jeannie Thompson said Kingma worked on her rebounding over the summer and it shows: “It’s helped out our team a ton so far this season.”
The game was the final warmup before league competition begins for both teams. Monroe opens its Wesco North schedule at home against Everett on Friday. Jackson’s Wesco South opener is on Wednesday, and it’s a biggie: the Timberwolves go to Meadowdale, ranked No. 4 in 3A.
Jackson hopes to have 6-2 post Brittany Eskridge healthy by then. The Oregon State-bound senior sat out the entire second half against Monroe because of a nagging quadriceps injury.
At Jackson H.S.
Monroe1018514-47
Jackson1216129-49
Monroe-Battle 7, C. Drivstuen 9, Hopkins 12, Wangner 2, Morton 17. Jackson-Bruns 9, Kingma 19, Addington 11, Todd 2, Feeney 6, O’Neal 2. 3-point goals-Hopkins 3, Morton 1, Bruns 1, Kingma 1, Addington 1, Feeney 2. JV score-Jackson 48, Monroe 47. Records-Monroe 0-2 overall. Jackson 2-0.
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