Meadowdale coach Andy Streit had a feeling that his team might be able to wear down crosstown rival Lynnwood.
He was right.
After an even first half, the Mavericks outscored the Royals 43-23 in the final two quarters to prevail 64-43 in a Western Conference 3A boys basketball game Dec. 16 at Meadowdale High School.
The Mavericks didn’t make any adjustments at halftime, perhaps in part because Streit knew that Lynnwood was playing its third game of the week.
“We stuck with our normal game plan,” Streit said. “We played hard. We rebounded well. We played good defense. … Our guys responded. They battled a tough group. I felt that we were able to wear them down in the third and fourth quarters.”
Lynnwood coach Darrell McNeal agreed that fatigue appeared to have played a role in the Royals’ downfall in the second half.
“We just kind of went on a drought,” he said. “They were able to extend the lead. We missed open shots. We turned the ball over. It was our ninth game in three weeks. We’re a little exhausted.”
Meadowdale (3-1 in the league, 4-4 overall) also was battling some adversity with the absence of senior starters Spencer Linton and Taylor England, both of whom were out with injuries. Stepping in for Linton, sophomore guard Barrett Carlow scored a season-high 20 points.
“He’s been a pleasant surprise for us,” Streit said. “He’s played with a ton of confidence. He’s almost been a point-a-minute guy. He’s been instrumental in us being able to manage without a couple of starters.”
Linton has been battling an ankle injury, while England, who suffered a broken hand, is expected back shortly. Linton sat out last week and Streit said his condition will be reevaluated.
Senior forward Matt Hirsch scored 14 points and had 14 rebounds and senior guard Torin Dooley had 14 points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals. He made four 3-pointers.
“Our seniors were great,” Streit said. “Statistically Matt and Torin were all over the stat sheet.”
But another senior, center Brian Feldhaus, also played a key role in the victory.
“He was instrumental in our defense,” Streit said. “We would not have won without his defense and his defensive rebounding. … He limited their attacks on the hoop.”
Lynnwood’s Jordan Norde scored a team-high 9 points.
“He’s a tough guy to limit,” Streit said. “From there, they’re very balanced. They have five other guys who’ve scored in double digits. You never know who’s going to step up on any particular night.”
McNeal is just glad the schedule eases up for the Royals (1-5, 1-8) and that he and his staff will have time to do some coaching.
“We’re excited to be done,” McNeal said. “Now we get the chance to rest and heal up and actually get in some practices. Our record doesn’t speak for how we’re playing.”
Norde was the lone returning player with any significant varsity experience and as a result he’s relied upon to lead his younger teammates. In addition, he often is the focus of the opponent’s defensive game plan.
“People know he’s out there,” McNeal said. “He’s trying to step up. He’s trying to be positive in practice and positive in games.”
Injuries and sicknesses have forced McNeal to juggle his starting lineup this season. McNeal is stressing to his players to pay attention to the little things and to realize that it’s a long season.
“We’ve been playing almost every night,” he said. “It’s hard to make adjustments and have them stick and make sense to the guys when you have two, three games in a row.”
With the holiday break, the Royals should be able to go a little bit harder in practice and make some of those adjustments in their schemes.
“We’re going to focus on us getting better and making sure our spirits are up,” McNeal said.
Streit wasn’t surprised by how hard Lynnwood battled Meadowdale in the first half. The Mavericks took a 21-20 lead into halftime.
“That’s what we were expecting,” he said. “They are extremely impressive in how hard they play and their defense, their zone, is very tough.”
Meadowdale also had some foul troubles in the first half.
The Mavericks were coming off 53-51 victory over first-year Marysville-Getchell on Dec. 13. The Chargers, much like the Royals, were a scrappy team, Streit said.
“They were shooting the ball well and playing good defense,” Streit said. “We were struggling most of the night.”
Meadowdale made only 3 of 20 3-point shots.
“We played good enough defense and the guys never panicked,” Streit said. “The fourth quarter we were able to start making some shots. We eliminated a 10-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.”
Feldhaus made the game-winning shot.
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