EVERETT – The home fans must have derived a measure of satisfaction in the final minutes as they watched their Wildcats go toe-to-toe with the top-ranked 2A team in the state.
Unfortunately, the 21-point hole Archbishop Murphy dug for itself through the first three quarters was too much to overcome as the Wildcats fell 57-40 to the King’s Knights in a Cascade Conference girls basketball showdown Tuesday night.
“That’s a big hill to climb against such an athletic team,” Archbishop Murphy coach John Barhanovich said of King’s, which used a 15-0 run to build a 21-4 lead two minutes into the second quarter. “They’re a great team and I think they demonstrated early tonight just how good they can be.”
With the triumph, King’s, the defending state champion, improved its record to 9-0 in league play and 16-2 overall. The Wildcats (6-2, 13-3) have suffered both of their league losses at the hands of the Sara Mosiman-led Knights.
“They’re a very good basketball team,” King’s coach Eric Rasmussen said of the Wildcats. “But, for three quarters, we were able to do what we wanted to do.”
Principally, what the Knights wanted to do was get points in the paint.
They got just that from forwards Danielle Clauson (18 points) and Sarah Strand (14).
The pair made the most of the opportunities presented by Mosiman’s lane penetration. And, when Mosiman (five assists) wasn’t making nifty passes off the dribble-drive she also scored 17 points, showing off a dazzling array of pull-up or baseline jump shots as circumstances dictated.
“You can’t double team her,” Barhanovich said, noting Mosiman’s penchant for creating good looks for teammates.
“She does so many good things. She penetrates, handles the ball and offensively she’s just stepped up to a new level,” Rasmussen said of the University of Washington-bound Mosiman. “She’s just a fun kid, a great leader and fun to coach.”
Mosiman matched Strand’s five rebounds. Meanwhile, Clauson pounded the boards on both ends of the floor and wound up with nine rebounds to help the Knights enjoy a 35-29 rebounding advantage. Clauson added three assists to match teammate Lauren Thompson.
The grim start for Archbishop Murphy was eerily similar to the 13-4 deficit they faced in their first meeting with King’s back on Jan. 6. King’s went on to a 53-47 triumph.
Lisa Coate, who led the Wildcats with 15 points, scored Archbishop Murphy’s first six points, including an inside bucket that stopped the Knight’s early 15-0 run.
Shell-shocked though they might have been at the carnage, Archbishop Murphy used a 9-0 run late in the second quarter to pull within 26-15 by halftime.
King’s erased that momentum with a 9-1 blitz to start the third quarter and took its biggest lead, 43-22.
Murphy’s Krista Eknes scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half. Her fourth 3-pointer of the contest sparked a 6-0 run that brought the Wildcats within 51-36 with 4:18 remaining to be played, but that was as close as they would get.
“They had an answer for everything we threw at them,” Barhanovich said.
“But, every game is an opportunity for us to get better. The lesson tonight is don’t get behind early.”
At Archbishop Murphy H.S.
King’s 15111714-57
Archbishop Murphy411718-40
King’s-Strand 14, Clauson 18, Faidley 6, Thompson 2, Mosiman 17. Archbishop Murphy-Lasswell 1, Eknes 14, Coate 15, Burns 4, Smith 3, Westlund 3. 3-point goals-Strand 1, Eknes 4, Westlund 1. JV score-Archbishop Murphy 41, King’s 27. Records-King’s 9-0 in league, 16-2 overall. Archbishop Murphy 6-2, 13-3.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
