SNOHOMISH — When Glacier Peak star senior guard Paisley Johnson was pulled early in the fourth quarter, she was accidentally whacked in the neck by a referee, who abruptly raised his arm to signal subs in as Johnson exited the court.
That mishap resulted in the most adversity Johnson and her Glacier Peak Grizzlies endured all night.
An early-season matchup between two teams undefeated in league play doesn’t typically offer a fourth-quarter running clock, but then again, Glacier Peak has proved its far from an average girls basketball team.
Powered by big nights from senior post Kayla Watkins and her two backcourt mates Samantha Fatkin and Johnson, the Grizzlies ran away with a landslide 81-35 Wesco 4A victory over Kamiak on Friday night at Glacier Peak High School.
Watkins was dominant, recording 25 points to go with 18 rebounds. Kamiak had no answer for her presence in the paint as Watkins scored and pulled down rebounds at will. Fatkin finished with 14 points and a game-high eight assists — all of which came during the first three quarters — and Johnson chipped in 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“My girls are just playing hard, and I am trying to get them to compete at a high level every night,” said Glacier Peach coach Brian Hill. “For the most part, that might be the most complete game we have played this season. We played for four quarters, and the girls kept competing at a high level.”
Kamiak (6-4, 3-1 Wesco 4A) was led by Kate Huguenin’s 12 points, but her strong game couldn’t change what the Knights were going up against Friday.
Glacier Peak (10-1, 5-0) raced out to an 11-2 lead before finishing the quarter on a 15-5 run to take a 26-7 lead through the game’s first eight minutes. Kamiak played Glacier Peak tight in the second, but a 31-point third quarter blew the game wide open.
Watkins accounted for 14 of those points and was continuously fed down low from Fatkin and Johnson.
“I’m just using my God-given talents,” said the 6-foot-1 Watkins. “It took me a long time to get used to my size and height, but I think this year I’m using it good, and my teammates see that, too.”
The Grizzlies extended their lead to 70-31 by the end of the third quarter, which prompted the fourth quarter running clock.
Despite the loss, Kamiak was helped by Aliea Marrero and Tasia Opstrup, who both hit a pair of 3-pointers. Marrero finished with eight points, and Opstrup had six.
Glacier Peak senior Kelsey Thomas entered the game for the first time in the fourth quarter and finished with seven points.
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