MUKILTEO — Not a peep was heard when the Shorecrest girls basketball team exited the visitor’s locker room following a lackluster defeat to Kamiak last week.
All eyes were planted firmly on the linoleum as the Scots shuffled down the hallway. Their mopey mood was excusable.
They’d just let one get away.
Kamiak clipped the Scots 46-44 in the Jan. 9 matchup of teams jockeying for position in the middle of the Western Conference 4A South Division standings.
“We really couldn’t find any flow. We were out of sync pretty much the entire game,” Shorecrest coach Don Dalziel said.
“To lose by two points in a game where you feel like you didn’t play your best is frustrating. That’s a game we had a chance to win.”
The lead changed hands 10 times through the first three quarters before the Knights opened up a 42-35 edge with a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter.
Lisa Magnusson made one of two free throws to close Shorecrest’s deficit to one with 7.4 seconds remaining. The Scots regained possession with 3.9 seconds to go and called timeout to set up a final play, but Mary Tseng’s 3-pointer wouldn’t fall.
Magnusson led the Scots with nine points and Karis Grounds scored eight points before injuring her right ankle at the 1:54 mark of the fourth quarter. Tseng finished with seven points and Banimi Lawson added six to go with 14 boards.
An even scoresheet has become one of Shorecrest’s trademarks this season. Through nine games, the Scots have had four different leading scorers and four players are averaging between seven and 12 points per game.
Dalziel has been trying to expand his rotation as of late. Upwards of 10 players are seeing playing time in varying amounts.
“We have to give people reps right now, especially with Karis going down,” Dalziel said. “It’s hard to play seven kids three games in one week and expect them to go out and have legs every game.
“Even if it’s just a minute or two here and there, it gives our (starters) a chance to get their breath. The kids know, if you’ve got the hot hand, you’re going to get the reps.”
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