KIRKLAND — The fifth-seeded Glacier Peak girls basketball team secured a spot in this year’s 4A State Basketball Tournament on Thursday night with a 64-49 District 1/2 4A playoff win over No. 9 North Creek. The game came on the heels of Glacier Peak’s second blowout loss of the season to Woodinville on Tuesday evening — a loss that had GP head coach Brian Hill itching to get back on track.
“I was ready to roll the ball out again and go,” Hill said. “It was like, ‘Let’s go, I’m ready to go.’”
With his team anxious to get back on track ahead of their matchup with North Creek, an extra burden was hanging over the Grizzlies: This would be a loser-out contest.
Those nerves seemed to show early, as the Grizzlies missed layups and wide-open 3-pointers to open the game. Despite the cold start on offense, Glacier Peak limited North Creek to six points over the first five minutes by pressing ball handlers far beyond the arc and waiting in passing lanes. By the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies found some offense by way of freshman Lillian Riechelson (14 points, eight rebounds) finishing close to the rim. Glacier Peak led 15-9 after the quarter and forced six Jaguars turnovers while committing none.
The Grizzlies tied their largest lead midway through the second quarter at 27-12 when senior Samantha Thoma (13 points, 19 rebounds) scored an and-one bucket to punctuate a 12-3 opening to the quarter. Thoma attributed the Grizzlies’ competitiveness despite a poor offensive start to their effort level on the other end.
“I think the biggest part was staying together on defense, which we’ve definitely struggled with this year. But we played together as a team and trusted each other,” Thoma said.
That connectivity showed — matchups were passed along smoothly by the Grizzlies and the Jaguars found their shots getting consistently swatted out of the baseline by help defenders. North Creek, sensing the dire situation, hit a few catch-and-shoot 3s to cut the GP lead to 10 by halftime.
Despite the Grizzlies dominating the rebounding battle 45-29 on the night and getting three 3s from senior Rikki Miller (15 points, seven rebounds), the Jaguars refused to go away in the third. North Creek limited the production of Grizzlies star senior Brynna Pukis (three points, six assists) and got in the lane to force charges and travels on the Long Beach State commit. Those defensive efforts set up a seven-point quarter from junior Paige Geller as the Jaguars turned a 40-28 deficit into a 42-40 ball game in just three minutes.
With a spot in the state tournament on the line, Glacier Peak made it clear they had saved their best for last. The Grizzlies played a punishing fullcourt trap and closed off driving lanes late. Instead of forcing a lion’s share of turnovers as they had in the first quarter, Glacier Peak forced the Jaguars into desperation shots. North Creek started heaving 3s and contested jumpers, coming up with only one make from beyond the arc in the quarter. The Grizzlies made them pay by snagging virtually every rebound, completely nixing second-chance opportunities with an 11-4 rebounding advantage in the final period.
Thoma did plenty of damage in that aspect, snaring rebounds over crowds of North Creek players as precious seconds ticked away. Glacier Peak ended up holding the Jaguars scoreless over the last three minutes to secure the win.
Despite the near-30-point loss her team suffered just two nights previous and the possibility of elimination looming, Thoma emphasized the belief the Grizzlies have in one another.
“We stay confident because we know we’re a good team and we know that we can’t let that get us down. If we do let it get us down, it’s just going to make things worse, so we just stay positive,” Thoma said.
Sitting at 17-7 now with a chance to make noise on Washington’s biggest stage, Hill believes his team will cause plenty of headaches for state opponents.
“I think we’re a team no one would want to play,” Hill said. “We’re beatable, but I think when we’re clicking and we’re shooting really well and our defense is moving and rebounding the way we did today, I don’t know that a team would want to play us.”
Before they head to state, the Grizzlies will get a chance to get an elusive win over a league rival. Wesco 4A-champion Lake Stevens defeated Bothell to secure a state berth on Thursday night as well, setting up a third game against Glacier Peak on Saturday in the tournament’s fifth-place game at Snohomish High School.
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