MILL CREEK — The Lynnwood girls basketball team was thinking one thing during its 3A District 1 championship game against Glacier Peak.
Revenge.
After the Grizzlies topped Lynnwood late in the season, the Royals made sure they finished the season series on top with a 48-42 victory over Glacier Peak in the district title game Saturday night at Jackson High School.
Both teams advance to regionals and will find out their opponents when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announces the matchups Sunday night.
“‘Revenge’ is a strong word but it does apply. You want to win,” said Lynnwood head coach Everett Edwards. “… It’s been a great rivalry over the years with Glacier Peak and we wanted this game really bad. We knew that, in the big picture, we’d still have the opportunity to go down to the Tacoma Dome whether we won or whether we lost, but it’s a little bit of a grudge match with Glacier Peak and we wanted this game really bad.”
Both teams came into Saturday night’s championship game with identical 20-2 records — with each team accounting for one of the other’s losses. Lynnwood took the first game between the two teams 58-33 on Jan. 14. When Glacier Peak and the Royals squared off again on Feb. 6 the Grizzlies were victorious 61-49.
“They’re an amazing team,” said Lynnwood junior Jordyn Edwards, who finished with eight points. “… They’re our top rivals. They stepped up and we stepped up too. We really, really, really wanted some revenge in this game. And we got it.”
It was the first playoff game between the teams since Glacier Peak knocked Lynnwood out of the playoffs three years ago with a 48-46 victory in a 3A loser-out game.
“Before they went 4A we were battling,” said Glacier Peak head coach Brian Hill. “The very last game we had as 3A competitors was a winner-to-regionals, loser-out game and we beat them with two free throws with about 10 seconds to go. This was a little bit better knowing that we’re both getting to regionals because I think both of us are deserving. They’re a great team.”
Neither team led by more than three points until the final minutes when Lynnwood pulled away on free throws. Edwards made a 3-pointer with 32.7 seconds to play that broke a 42-42 tie and a three-minute scoreless streak for both teams.
“This is the closest game we’ve had all year,” Everett Edwards said. “Our other closest game we had was when we played Glacier Peak at Glacier Peak.”
A year after finishing third at the 4A state tournament, the highest finish in school history, Lynnwood clinched its third consecutive district championship.
“It is very sweet,” Edwards said. “I know the Pahukoas at Lake Stevens had won three in a row back in the day there and I believe Jackson has won five in a row. So, just to have little old Lynnwood in consideration with being a solid program, not only this year but for the past couple of years, brings nothing but pride for me.”
Mikayla Pivec scored a game-high 13 points for the Royals, despite being in foul trouble most of the way. Monty Cooper netted 11 and Kelsey Rogers added nine for Lynnwood (21-2 overall).
“We have a great team,” Edwards said. “Mikayla is a great player but we have a great team and that showed tonight. She was in foul trouble for a majority of the game but we still came together and made the adjustments.”
Paisley Johnson led Glacier Peak (20-3) with 11 points and senior Sadie Mensing added eight for the Grizzlies.
“We just want to make sure we take care of the next one,” Hill said. “As much as we would have loved to win, we’ve got to move on. We can’t dwell on this too long. The next one’s way more important. It’s nice to hang a banner, it’s nice to have a trophy and a piece of the net — I really want to get to Tacoma and a glass trophy is a little bit cooler.”
Both coaches said they wouldn’t mind the rivals having Round 4 at the Tacoma Dome, perhaps in a 3A state championship game.
Said Edwards: “I just hope we get the opportunity to play one more time down in Tacoma.”
Lynnwood 48, Glacier Peak 42
At Jackson H.S.
Glacier Peak 16 15 5 8 – 42
Lynnwood 14 12 7 15 – 48
Glacier Peak–Paisley Johnson 11, Samantha Fatkin 4, Sadie Mensing 8, Kayla Watkins 6, Natalie Rasmussen 6, Charlie Sevenants 0, Kianna Garner 7. Lynnwood–Reilly Walsh 4, Monty Cooper 11, Jordyn Edwards 8, Mikayla Pivec 13, Kelsey Rogers 9, Kaprice Boston 0, Dani Hayes 3. 3-point goals–Johnson 1, Fatkin 1, Rasmussen 2, Garner 1, Edwards 1, Hayes 1. Records–Glacier Peak 20-3 overall. Lynnwood 21-2.
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