LYNNWOOD – Meadowdale circled this one on its schedule long ago.
And even though Bishop Blanchet wasn’t at full-strength, the Braves gave the Lady Mavericks something they needed: A challenge.
After stumbling through a slow start, Meadowdale used several key steals and a timely 3-point barrage in the second half to bounce Blanchet 56-43 Saturday evening in a non-conference girls basketball game.
Despite competing without two key players, including star guard Michelle Augustavo (15 points per game), Blanchet (5-3 overall) hung tough and trailed 36-31 with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter. But the 5-0 Mavs, who had stomped their first four opponents by an average of 40 points, went on a decisive 17-3 run capped by senior guard Anne Martin’s three consecutive 3-pointers to secure the victory.
Still, nothing came easily for Meadowdale.
“I was real impressed with Blanchet, the intensity they came out with, and the focus,” Meadowdale head coach Karen Blair said. “The second half we finally picked up the defensive pressure a little bit, and that helped.”
Meadowdale’s pressure led to 21 steals, including Ashley Fenimore’s seven and Quinn Brewe’s five.
Martin scored a game-high 17 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, all on 3s, and pulled down seven rebounds. Foul trouble kept Martin off the floor most of the third quarter, and she said she was anxious to return.
“I was pretty down,” said Martin, who set the school single-season 3-point record (64) last year. “I usually don’t pick up too many fouls. Especially with it being in the middle of a really hard game, I really wanted to be in there.”
After Martin picked up her fourth foul and went to the bench with 6:12 to go in the third quarter, Blair told her, “You’ve got to forget about it. You’ve got one more. We’ll get you back in there (in the) fourth quarter.”
When Martin got back in, she took target practice from outside to give the Mavericks their first significant cushion.
“That’s just a senior really stepping up,” Blair added. “She’s been there, she knew what she needed to do. She hit a couple threes and that got everyone going.”
Brewe, a senior forward, scored 13 points and added a team-high 17 rebounds for Meadowdale. Fenimore’s six assists led the Mavericks.
After overcoming a talented, persistent Blanchet team, Blair said Meadowdale has plenty to work on before its next game, a key Western Conference South home contest Jan. 3 against Edmonds-Woodway (3-0 league, 4-0 overall).
“We know that’s it’s going to be a tough ballgame” Blair said. “There’s a big rivalry there.”
Like Blanchet, Meadowdale also has players sidelined. Sophomore guard Caitlyn Rohrbach, who suffered a 50 percent tear of her Achilles’ tendon, will miss the rest of the season, Blair said. A key contributor on last year’s team, Rohrbach won’t have surgery but after having her cast removed next week she’ll rehabilitate her leg for up to eight weeks.
Senior forward Ashleigh Graham sat out Saturday with a recurring ankle injury.
Blanchet-Feeney 7, Fitzpatrick 2, Lersch 12, Pettersen 3, Schifferman 2, Sutermeister 9, Young 8. Meadowdale-Fenimore 10, Martin 17, Moehrle 8, Brewe 13, Lewis 7, Smith 1. 3-point goals-Feeney 1, Martin 3, Moehrle 1. JV score-Blanchet won 39-30. Records-Blanchet 5-3 overall. Meadowdale 5-0. |
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