MOUNTLAKE TERRACE
Lynnwood used a swarming defense to disrupt Mountlake Terrace and Mokun Fajemisin took care of the offense for the Royals in a 49-33 Western Conference South Division win Dec. 5 at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Fajemisin scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Royals (1-0 overall and league) held Mountlake Terrace scoreless for 13 minutes, 7 seconds — including a scoreless second quarter.
Lynnwood poured in 11 points in a span of 2:57 to start the third quarter to extend its lead to 33-7 before senior guard Corrine Pingul stopped the bleeding with a basket for Mountlake Terrace at the 5:03 mark of the third quarter.
Pingul, a 5-foot-7 guard, finished with a team-high 12 points for the Hawks. Amanda Lockleer added 11 points and two rebounds off the bench and senior forward Lauren Wilson pulled down seven rebounds for Mountlake Terrace, which played toe-to-toe with Lynnwood in the second half.
“She’s a central player and has great ability, so we try to get her as many touches as we can,” Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards said of Fajemisin, whose older brother Simi plays on the Lynnwood boys varsity team.
Mountlake Terrace’s varsity inexperience showed as the Hawks failed to convert open shot attempts and struggled to break Lynnwood’s full-court press defense.
“Our big bugaboo last year and this year has been shooting and making baskets,” Mountlake Terrace head coach David Brophy said. “… They’re (Lynnwood) a tough team, a very balanced group of girls.”
The Royals stayed consistent in the attack while breaking the game open in a pivotal second quarter run.
“I liked our effort; we were scrappy and fighting for loose balls,” Edwards said. “I liked our effort and overall hustle.”
Fajemisin scored seven of Lynnwood’s 11 second-quarter points.
“She’s a beast inside,” Brophy said of Fajemisin.
Mountlake Terrace’s Lockleer, a 6-foot-1 senior post, scored eight of her 11 points in the second half for the Hawks. Lockleer, who has battled knee problems through her career according to Brophy, displayed good post work against the Royals.
Mark Nelson writes for The Herald.
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