MILL CREEK — The Meadowdale girls basketball team had a certain swagger to it on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Benson Sims told his squad to embrace being uncomfortable as they went into a loser-out, winner-to-state 3A District 1 Tournament game against league foe Shorecrest. Instead, the Mavericks looked unfazed in a 62-39 win over the Scots to advance to a second straight state tournament.
The result may have extended Meadowdale’s (14-10) season, but more immediately for Sims, it clinched a water ambush. The team sprayed their coach with their bottles outside the locker room after the game, punctuating a relieving afternoon for the Mavericks.
Sims credited his team with handling the pressure well, pointing to the history books for motivation. Meadowdale won the 3A state title in 2000 and 2004.
“Meadowdale Lady Mavs, man. There was a team that did some things years ago, and I think these young ladies ride that inspiration,” Sims said. “I’m a blessed dude where I get to come to a program with some girls who really feel pride in what they do.”
As is usually the case against a Wesco 3A/2A South rival, the win didn’t come easily. Senior Mia Brockmeyer (10 points), whose shooting pushed the Mavs to the finish line, missed plenty of game action by picking up four fouls by the early third. Instead of its usual consistent sharpshooting to pull away quickly, Meadowdale would lean on its defense. Junior Lexi Zardis not only finished with a game-high 16 points, but helped the Mavericks force 14 turnovers by lurking in passing lanes all night.
“She’s a dog,” Sims said of Zardis’ tenacity. “She’s made for these moments, so she tends to shine.”
Adding some shine was junior Lisa Sonko (five points, 10 rebounds), who was a big part of Meadowdale winning the rebounding battle 34-28. Junior Kaya Powell (14 points, seven rebounds) was also a force in crashing the glass for the Mavs.
On the other side, Anna Usitalo picked off plenty of passes to help cause 16 Meadowdale turnovers. Luciana Trujillo (10 points, five rebounds) slashed to the rim all game while Jorja Perrin (six points, 10 rebounds) was a consistent force on the glass for Shorecrest (11-14).
It was a defensive battle from the jump, as each team tested passing lanes leading to plenty of loose balls. But some decisive slashing from Zardis and pull-up shots from both Brockmyer and Powell gave Meadowdale a 13-7 edge going into the second.
In the second, Sonko made her impact off the bench felt. She skied for two offensive rebounds in one possession, kicking it to Zardis for a triple to make it a 17-9 ballgame.
“We really benefit from her, because we just get the outlet,” Zardis said of Sonko.
The Scots responded with a defensive gem to hold Meadowdale to 21 points for about four minutes of game time. Unfortunately for Shorecrest, it managed just two points in that stretch and trailed 24-15 by halftime.
The Scots made another comeback bid in the third, disrupting passing lanes and hitting three 3s. But Lexi Zardis’ effort on both ends limited the damage to a two-point swing toward Shorecrest, as the Mavericks guard had three steals in the first four minutes of the quarter.
Trujillo got a quick bucket to cut the Meadowdale lead to 10, ending the third on a 6-0 Scots run.
The fourth quarter was another story. Brockmeyer re-entered the game with four fouls and started to hit her signature moving jumpers. Her first shot of the quarter was perhaps the most devastating, as the sharpshooter hit from a few feet past the top of the arc to push the lead to 12. Triples from Quinn Gannon and Zardis stretched the lead as it felt like the Mavs finally found their stroke.
“Shooters shoot,” Brockmeyer said of the sudden shooting turnaround. “If you’re missing 10, keep shooting. You’ll make the next 10.”
Sims has embraced that shoot-first identity for his upperclassmen core.
“We live and die by it,” Sims said.
The Mavericks also won the turnover battle 8-5 in the second half to pave the way for a comfortable win by the final horn.
For Shorecrest, head coach Malcolm Rosier Butler couldn’t have asked more from his squad. Forcing 16 turnovers and getting decent looks all game is a result Butler can live with — sometimes shots just don’t fall.
“I think you’d rather lose playing the right way and have the luck of the draw being the reason you lose and not something under your own control,” Butler said.
Shorecrest’s Anna Usitalo dribbles during a district basketball game against Meadowdale on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at Jackson H.S. in Mill Creek. (Qasim Ali / The Herald)
Usitalo stood out all season for Shorecrest after the program graduated star big Cassie Chesnut after a short run at state in 2024. With Usitalo set to continue shining as a senior, Butler is enthusiastic about his team’s prospects.
“I’m excited to see her grow and gosh, if she can improve from this year, she’ll be one hell of a player her senior year,” Butler said.
Meadowdale will get another shot to lean on its strengths as it awaits its seeding for the state tournament, set to tip off on Feb. 24.
Last year, the Mavericks went 0-2 at state, losing their only game at the Tacoma Dome. Meadowdale would like to book some more time down south time around.
“More than one game,” Brockmeyer said of her hopes for Tacoma.
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