Last-second layup powers Monroe past Mavs

LYNNWOOD – Monroe girls basketball senior Halle Keller broke a Meadowdale trap to score a game-winning, and-1 layup in Friday night’s District 1 3A quarterfinal. Senior Hope Keller then secured an offensive rebound off the ensuing free throw to put the finishing touches on a miraculous 50-49 comeback.

Monroe head coach Tyson Horner watched his squad struggle against top teams this season, hovering around .500 all season. Horner’s message was to leave past successes behind if they were to break out of the mire they found themselves in.

“One of the things we’ve been talking about is comparison being the thief of joy. I think in some ways we’ve been comparing ourselves to last year and have been disappointed,” Horner said. “We’re trying to let go of that and just embracing each game.”

Monroe proved to be extremely present on this night, erasing a 49-44 deficit over the last 95 seconds to steal the win. Halle Keller finished with 17 points and nine rebounds while Hope Keller had the game’s sole double-double at 12 points and 12 rebounds. Senior star Cascadia Yates finished with a game-high 19 points, cashing three of her four 3’s in quick succession in the third quarter to counter a Meadowdale run as Monroe improved to 13-10.

Yates, a more traditional post player, turned down her teammates when they told her to roll to the rim multiple times. She knew it was her night from beyond the arc.

“Just before the game I felt my shot was good,” Yates said. “I hit a couple and I was like, ‘I’m not going in, give me the ball.’”

After winning the turnover battle 8-4 in the first half, the Bearcats faltered and won by a slim 15-13 margin in that category by the night’s end. Meadowdale’s traps and aggression in passing lanes revealed a problem Horner wants to correct as the playoffs wear on.

“I think we can handle the pressure better going forward,” Horner said. “Instead of going downhill and trying to get layups, we were kind of back on our heels a little bit.”

Halle Keller’s decision to attack the trap won her team the game in the end, proving Horner’s point succinctly. For Meadowdale head coach Benson Sims, whose team dropped to 15-7, there was nothing but credit for the Bearcats.

“We knew what they wanted to do was to get to the basket. That’s their bread and butter,” Sims said. “Our intention was to actually stop (Keller) earlier and push her up and switch that higher… if we were going to give anything, we wanted to give a jump shot and then give our darndest to try and rebound the ball.”

The heartbreaking finish was precisely the opposite of what Sims’ team had experienced in their last game — having defeated Stanwood on a buzzer-beating heave a week prior. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with winning and losing consecutive games at the horn, Sims knows his team can handle the on-court challenge of winning two more games.

The Mavericks’ star trio of junior Mia Brockmeyer (11 points, seven rebounds), sophomore Lexi Zardis (12 points) and senior Kyairra Rousin (10 points) had a decent night while Meadowdale drew 24 foul shots as a team.

“It’s a hurdle and it absolutely feels like a sting, but we’ve already felt a sting before,” Sims said. “It’s not a sad song, we’ve just got to take this thing one game at a time.”

On the other side of the adversity was a joyous Monroe team. It was the kind of win that could instill confidence in any squad, and Horner saw his team be fully present in that moment. That presence is part of why Horner doesn’t see a limit on what Monroe can accomplish in this postseason.

“It’s a retractable roof. There is no ceiling (on Monroe’s potential),” Horner said.

The Bearcats will be back in action Tuesday night against Stanwood in the district tournament semifinal at Marysville Pilchuck High School. The Mavericks will need to win two straight to advance to state following the loss. They’ll take on Mount Vernon at home next, also on Tuesday night.