SNOHOMISH – Freshman guard Amanda Best came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points as the Snohomish girls basketball team strolled to a 63-35 victory over Everett Wednesday at home in the first round of the class 4A Northwest district tournament.
Best has topped double-digits in five consecutive games and in 18 of the last 21 outings. The Panthers (19-2), who won their ninth straight game, will continue their pursuit of avenging last season’s district elimination at noon Saturday in a second-round game against Edmonds-Woodway at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. The Seagulls (10-11) fall into the consolation bracket and play Oak Harbor at 2 p.m.on Saturday also at M-P.
The Panthers erased any hope of drama in the first 3 minutes of the game. Junior guard Tara Angell scored seven consecutive points and Best nailed the first of five 3-pointers as Snohomish jumped out to a 10-1 lead.
“Tara is really the one who got us going in that first quarter,” Snohomish coach Ken Roberts said. “We’ve been playing like that all year, though. We are quick and solid on defense.
Angell, who finished with 10 points, hit her second 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining in the first quarter and the Panthers were on their way to their 13th victory of 25 points or more. During its 18-1 first quarter dismantling, Snohomish had held the Seagulls to without a field goal. Everett went 0-for-11 from the field and didn’t convert until nearly two minutes into the second quarter.
“There’s a reason why they’re the No. 6 team in the state,” Everett coach Craig Langley said. “I didn’t like our effort in the first half. They beat us down the court and shot the ball well. They have excellent athletes and it is hard to keep up.”
The Panthers continued to roll in the second quarter, thanks to a 11-2 run in the first five minutes, giving them a commanding 29-3 lead. Best scored five points during the tear and finished the first half with 11.
“All the kids are very focused this year,” Roberts said. “After losing two games by four points during last season’s district tournament, they’ve been focused so that doesn’t happen again.”
In after being outscored 38-9, the Seagulls took advantage of a Snohomish experiment with zone defense. With 5:36 remaining in the third quarter, Everett went on a 13-2 run capped off by a 3-pointer by Megan Homer, which made the score 45-22. Becca Crossen and Devonne Austin led the Seagulls with six points apiece.
“In the second half we tried something new and put in a zone defense,” Roberts said. “That is when they went on that big run. We have to learn different things because we can’t always play man-to-man.”
Sophomore guard Daesha Henderson chipped in 10 points and Emily Cassidy added eight points for Snohomish.
Everett-Lautua 3, Hudson 4, R. Crossen 5 , Larsen 2, B. Crossen 6, Austin 6, Homer 5, Olson 4. Snohomish-Manning 4, Best 20, Henderson 10, Angell 10, Rathke 1, Benson 4, Wilde 6, Cassidy 8. 3-point goals – Angell 2, Best 4, Homer 1, Hudson 1. Records – Everett 10-11. Snohomish 19-2. |
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