SEATTLE – Meadowdale begins its quest for a Class 3A girls state basketball title against Kennedy on Wednesday.
Meadowdale plays the Burien-based school at 2 p.m. on the opening day of the state tournament at Key Arena.
The Mavericks, who are ranked 10th in the state by MaxPreps.com, finished 16-0 in Wesco South play and are a perfect 24-0 overall this season.
Meadowdale looks to the duo of Eryn Jones and Marelle Moehrle to lead the Mavericks in the state tourney.
“They have to play at the same level, the same focus and the same drive that they’ve been doing the entire year,” Meadowdale head coach Dan Taylor said of Jones and Moehrle.
Moehrle led Meadowdale in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game. The 5-foot-9 senior forward/guard has some state experience under her belt.
In her freshman year Moehrle was a member of the Meadowdale team that won the Class 4A state title. Last year Moehrle finished 12th in scoring in the Class 4A state tournament, averaging 15.3 points per game as she led the Mavericks to an eighth-place finish.
Jones, a junior guard, is right on Moehrle’s heels, averaging 17.6 points per game. She scored 30 or more points three times, scoring a season-high 31 points in a 71-62 win over Mountlake Terrace on Jan. 5th.
“They’re our captains and our leaders,” Taylor said.
Kennedy tied for first place in the Seamount League, finishing 13-1 in league and 18-8 overall.
Kennedy is led by Daidra Brown (12.4 points per game) and senior C’Era WalkingChild (11.9 ppg).
Taylor’s feels “optimistic” about the Mavericks’ first game, but is also wary of the Lancers.
“Can’t take those Metro teams for granted,” Taylor said. ”It should be a “good match up.”
Also in Meadowdale’s side of the tournament bracket is Issaquah. The Eagles finished second in last year’s 3A tourney, losing by one point to Chief Sealth in the title game.
“I think we got a pretty good draw,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen the teams in our half (of the bracket) a lot more than the teams in the bottom half.”
To prepare for it’s first game, Meadowdale is going to practice in the Mountlake Terrace gymnasium, because the court’s size is closer to that of Key Arena and Bank of America Arena, where the tournament games are held.
Taylor says that other than that, it will be practice as usual today.
“Everybody has high hopes, of course, but at the same time we want to keep our heads level by playing it one game at a time,” Taylor said.
“Kennedy’s our opponent right now. Everybody’s 0-0. It’s a whole new ballgame.”
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