Lake Stevens clinches 4A state berth in tense win over Eastlake

LAKE STEVENS — With 6-foot-4 Division I-bound Camille Jentzsch sidelined the past few games by an injury, Nisa Ellis has been thrust into a starting role on the talented Lake Stevens High School girls basketball team.

The sophomore forward sure rose to the occasion Tuesday night.

And after another white-knuckle finish, the short-handed Vikings are officially state-bound.

Baylor Thomas scored 19 points, Ellis rattled in a go-ahead jumper in the final minute and No. 2 seed Lake Stevens clinched a state regional berth with a hard-fought 48-46 win over No. 3 seed Eastlake in a Class 4A Wes-King Bi-District Tournament semifinal showdown.

“I knew that she was gonna do it,” Vikings standout senior forward Cori Wilcox said of Ellis’ deciding shot. “I have the utmost confidence in her. … (She had) some big shoes to fill. And I think she’s done a wonderful job.”

Lake Stevens (19-2) has played its past three-and-a-half games without Jentzsch, who along with Wilcox is one of two Eastern Washington University-bound posts in the Vikings’ imposing frontcourt. Jentzsch has been nursing a foot injury she suffered in a Feb. 3 non-league victory over Kentwood, according to Lake Stevens coach Randy Edens.

But despite missing one of their top players, the Vikings have still found ways to win.

In the bi-district quarterfinals last Friday, Lake Stevens opened its postseason with a nailbiting 58-57 overtime victory over No. 7 seed Mount Si.

And in Tuesday’s semifinal, the Vikings withstood an early punch from Eastlake (19-3) and prevailed in a tense finish.

Edens said because of COVID-19 protocols and other disruptions this season, his team is used to playing short-handed.

“We’ve kind of gotten to this comfort zone of having to roll with different kids out,” he said. “I mean, we’ve only had our full team probably like five times out of 20-plus games. So we’re kind of used to it — whereas in a normal season you’d probably be a little panicked.”

In a back-and-forth closing stretch that featured four ties in the final four minutes, Eastlake sophomore Tatum Wood drove for a tough layup to even the score at 46 with 1:10 to play.

But the Vikings answered right back.

Lake Stevens senior guard Chloe Pattison tossed an upcourt pass to Ellis, who then passed behind her to junior Perla Ruiz on the perimeter. Ruiz then drove the baseline and flicked the ball back to Ellis, who was standing near the right elbow.

Ellis rose up and delivered the go-ahead shot — which bounced off the front of the rim, the back of the rim and then the front of the rim again before falling through with 55 seconds to go.

“I was a little bit nervous coming in (as) a sophomore and starting,” Ellis said. “But my team really reassured me and just told me everything was gonna be all right. And (Camille) especially — even though she’s injured, she’s supporting me. It’s just nice to have a team that supports you.”

Eastlake had a chance to tie the game after drawing a foul with 7.5 seconds remaining, but the Wolves missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation. Pattison grabbed the rebound and the Vikings eventually ran out the clock.

With the victory, Lake Stevens secured its third 4A state regional berth in the past four full-length seasons. The Vikings advance to face top-seeded Woodinville (21-1) in the bi-district championship game Friday night.

“Just so proud of the group,” Edens said. “And just to be able to do it (while) we’re mixing and matching people — it’s been awesome.

“We’ve just been able to find a way,” he added. “That’s been the really resilient thing about this group.”

Lake Stevens struggled offensively early on and trailed 24-20 at halftime. But after the break, the Vikings got a major spark from their standout senior point guard.

Thomas, a West Virginia State University signee, scored 18 of her team-high 19 points in the second half. She drained three 3-pointers in the third quarter, the latter of which gave Lake Stevens a 35-34 lead entering the final period. She also had a key basket in the fourth quarter and finished 8 of 11 from the free-throw line.

“She’s really done that for us all year,” Edens said. “When we’ve needed a bucket, it doesn’t seem like the moment’s been too big. … Player of the year type of players do those kinds of things in those situations. And she certainly did that tonight.”

Wilcox added 10 points for the Vikings, while Ellis and Ruiz chipped in six points apiece.

Lake Stevens leaned on its defense throughout the night, especially while holding the Wolves to just 19 second-half points.

A big key was the Vikings’ ability to slow Eastlake standout Ava Schmidt down the stretch. The 6-foot-2 forward was a major factor early on, scoring 11 of her team-high 13 points in the first half. But after the break, Lake Stevens held her without a field goal.

Edens credited Pattison, his team’s lockdown defender. In the second quarter, the 5-foot-9 Pattison said she wanted to guard the taller Schmidt. Edens and the coaching staff obliged, and Pattison came through.

“She really took the charge and said, ‘Hey, let’s get this done,’” Edens said. “And that’s her role for us. … That’s her game right there. She was huge for us tonight.”

By clinching a state regional berth, Edens said the Vikings have bought some more time for Jentzsch to heal. After Friday night’s bi-district title game, Lake Stevens won’t play again until the following Friday or Saturday in the 16-team state regional round.

“I know she’s gonna wanna play (this Friday), but the reality is we’re not in a hurry now,” Edens said. “Now we’ve got that kind of ideal scenario where we can really make sure she’s … in a good place.”

This season, the Vikings have been laser-focused on reaching the Tacoma Dome for the program’s first Hardwood Classic trip since 2018.

Now, there’s an added layer to that goal.

“We’re playing for Camille so that we can get her back and play with her one more time in the Dome,” Wilcox said.