Meadowdale’s hard work over the holiday break yielded immediate dividends in the New Year.
The one-two punch of Colin Matteson and Tyler Milam lifted the Mavericks to a 51-45 victory over Edmonds-Woodway in a Western Conference 4A South Division boys basketball game Jan. 3 at Meadowdale High School.
Matteson scored 13 points, while Milam added 11.
“Edmonds-Woodway is so physical,” said Meadowdale coach Chad McGuire. “(Matteson and Milam) did a nice job, especially finishing inside. They finished most of their looks.”
Meadowdale trailed 29-27 at halftime but then outscored the Warriors 10-5 in the third quarter. The score remained close early in the fourth quarter before the Mavericks inched ahead late in the game.
A 3-pointer by Raurie McGinnis gave Edmonds-Woodway a two-point lead with about three and a half minutes left but the Warriors faltered in their next two offensive possessions.
“Meadowdale did a good job of executing down the stretch,” said Edmonds-Woodway coach Rob McMains. “They got some good shots … it could have gone either way.”
Added McGuire, “In the fourth quarter, we just made plays down the stretch and made free throws.”
What really stood out for McGuire in the victory was his team’s toughness against a physical Edmonds-Woodway team.
“We showed a toughness that hasn’t always been there,” said McGuire. “Mentally we were tough. Physically we were tough. So that was encouraging.”
Edmonds-Woodway had a pretty good overall effort but struggled with its 3-point shots and free throws, McMains noted. The Warriors connected on only three of 15 3-pointers and made 10 of 20 free throws.
“Both teams, from our stats, had five or six turnovers,” McMains said. “It was really kind of a smooth game. They just executed a little better than us.”
During the holiday break, Meadowdale made a few minor adjustments and threw in a couple of new defenses. But for the most part, the emphasis was just on working together and playing as a team.
“That was something we needed to get done,” McGuire said. “We played as a team. We played together. We’ve been unselfish … it shows when you win close games. Early on we lost a couple of close games. It was a real emphasis for us over break.”
Some of the Mavericks are still relatively young and are making the transition from junior varsity to varsity ball.
“We went through some growing pains,” McGuire said. “Players have to make adjustments. So far we’ve headed in the right direction.”
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