MILL CREEK – Arlington senior Jessica Ludwig felt like she wasn’t having a great game.
She sure had a good final five minutes.
Ludwig made a 25-foot 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and scored four points in the extra period to lead Arlington to a 57-52 victory over Edmonds-Woodway in the 3A District 1 third-place, winner-to-regionals game Saturday afternoon at Jackson High School.
“I can’t even think right now,” Ludwig said. “That play is ran for Sevi (Bielser) and they’re in her face. They know she’s a shooter. She gave it to me and I thought, ‘I gotta do it.’
“I just felt like I had to. It was senior year. It has to be our third time. I just didn’t want it to be over. I was kind of struggling that game — it was frustrating. Something had to fall.”
Trailing by three after a Mady Burdett 3-pointer, Ludwig netted one of her own to tie the score at 43. The 5-foot-9 senior finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds in the game, which sends Arlington (21-3 overall) to the regional round of the state tournament for the third consecutive year.
The Eagles will find out their next opponents after the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announces regional pairings Sunday night.
“Jessica Ludwig just hits the three of her life, just unbelievable,” said Arlington head coach Joe Marsh. “She just looks around and says, ‘I’m going to win this because I’m a senior.’ That was just a great shot. She was on a mission. She just takes us on her shoulders this year. She’s strong and athletic and just refuses to lose. She did it the other night at Stanwood and she did it tonight.”
Arlington outscored Edmonds-Woodway 15-4 in the second quarter to build a 10-point halftime lead. But the Warriors came storming back in the second half with 13 points from Natalie Kasper and reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter.
“They have a ton of offensive weapons,” Marsh said of Edmonds-Woodway. “They came out and did what they do. They hit those threes and chip away at that lead and then it was a dogfight the rest of the way.”
After Edmonds-Woodway caught up, the two teams continued to exchange leads the rest of the way.
“The girls are used to these games, just playing tough teams like Lynnwood and Glacier Peak, they know how to battle in those games,” said Edmonds-Woodway head coach Rebekah Wells. “They improved all year. They put their heads down and battled it out.”
It was the second time the two teams faced this season, with both contests needing additional time to decide. Edmonds-Woodway defeated Arlington 81-79 in a non-conference game on Jan. 17.
The Eagles hadn’t forgotten.
“The only way I can describe it is, ‘Redemption,’” Ludwig said. “We had some fire in our belly. I think we were pretty determined.”
Arlington’s Gracie Castaneda scored 10 points – eight of which came in the overtime period – and junior Jayla Russ added 17 points off the bench for the Eagles.
Russ, a three-year varsity player, switched to a sixth man role midway through the season to stay out of foul trouble late in games.
The change continues to work for Arlington.
“We’re having success and she’s playing really well,” Marsh said. “She’s been great, her whole career, in the playoffs and she did it again tonight.”
Missy Peterson scored 15 points to lead the way for the Warriors (18-6), whose season ended with the loss. Claire Fyfe scored nine points and Burdett added eight points and 14 rebounds.
“I think the seniors stepped it up today,” Wells said. “Moni Jackson, Claire Fyfe, Lea Bakken and Natalie Kasper. They just stepped it up and at halftime were going to the players and saying, ‘Let’s go.’”
The win gives Arlington the No. 3 seed out of the 3A District 1 tournament, which featured four teams ranked in the Associated Press top 10 poll including No. 6 Arlington.
“We knew this was going to be a tough game,” Marsh said. “Unfortunately for Edmonds-Woodway, they have to go home. They’re a great team. I think that’s a team that could make a run in the state tournament too. It’s sad that somebody has to go home, but I’m happy that we’re still alive.”
At Jackson H.S.
Edmonds-Woodway 11 4 16 12 9 – 52
Arlington 10 15 9 9 14 – 57
Edmonds-Woodway–Kate Wooley 0, Mady Burdett 8, Natalie Kasper 13, Claire Fyfe 9, Moni Jackson 7, Lea Bakken 0, Missy Peterson 15. Arlington–Gracie Castaneda 10, Serafina Balderas 3, Sarah Shortt 0, Sevi Bielser 4, Olivia Larson 0, Emma Janousek 4, Jessica Ludwig 13, Jayla Russ 17, Peyton Brown 6. 3-point goals–Burdett 2, Kasper 2, Jackson 1, Peterson 1, Balderas 1, Ludwig 1, Russ 2, Brown 2. Records– Edmonds-Woodway 18-6 overall. Arlington 21-3.
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