TACOMA — The Shorecrest Scots girls basketball team has its swagger back.
Or so it hopes, as a meeting with a familiar foe awaits them in the state quarterfinals.
After a 51-34 drubbing over the 12th-seeded Capital Cougars on Wednesday in the opening round of the Class 3A girls Hardwood Classic on Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome, the Scots will face Wesco 2A/3A rival in No. 3 Arlington.
“As I tell my kids, (we don’t want to) get too high or too low,” Shorecrest head coach Carlos Humphrey said. “I think our biggest challenge is going to be the second day. I mean, the Arlington Eagles, they’re no joke. They’re quick, they’re fast, they knock down a lot of threes and they cause havoc. Somehow we have to get our kids ready to play against them.”
The two teams split their two matchups this season, with Shorecrest prevailing in the regular season and the Eagles winning the 3A Northwest District championship game on Feb. 22.
“We want to get back at them, but we know that they’re a great shooting team,” Shorecrest senior guard Amanda Lee said. “I see Arlington, and I’m like ‘Wow, you guys are amazing.’ I have a lot of respect for them. As long as we can put together a good game, I know we can put up a fight.”
The Scots were engaged on the defensive end from the opening tip, allowing just four points in the first quarter and 12 at halftime against the Cougars.
Slowing down the game, suffocating their opponent in the half court and closing out on 3-point attempts is a recipe for success for Shorecrest. Capital shot just 24.4% from the field and 18.8% from beyond the arc on Wednesday.
“Throughout the season we’ve held quite a few teams to low-scoring games,” Lee said. “Obviously that’s what we want to do. That’s our goal.”
Lee helped the Scots build a controlling lead at halftime with 11 first-half points, eight of which were scored in the first quarter. Senior guard Sydney VanNess also sunk a pair of 3-pointers.
Lee led the Scots with 13 points while VanNess and junior center Kiana Lino added 11.
The win over the Cougars was a bounce back game for the Scots’ typically stingy defense. Not only did Shorecrest allow 50 points in the district title game against Arlington, Mt. Spokane, the 2019 state runner-up, hung 78 points on the Scots in a state regional round game.
The rebound performance set up a Wesco showdown in the state quarterfinals. Humphrey wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’re up for the challenge,” Humphrey said. “We split with them and this one will be equally as fun.”
2A BOYS
Lindbergh 68, Lakewood 57
YAKIMA — The Eagles took control in the second quarter and were never threatened on their way to a win over the Cougars at the 2A Hardwood Classic on Wednesday at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Lakewood, which was making its first Hardwood Classic appearance, ends its season at 15-10.
Lakewood started off the game making three of its first four 3-point attempts, but only made one of their next 26, and shot 32% from the field in the game.
Alex Jensen paced the Cougars with 18 points, and Morgan Stacey chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cougars led 16-10 after the first quarter, but Lindbergh took a 34-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Eagles’ standouts Mo Kora and Xavier Bailey got going offensively in the second quarter, and Lakewood only made three field goals. Bailey finished with 18 points, Parker Duncan added 16 off the bench and Kora chipped in 12 to go along with 18 rebounds and six assists.
Black Hills 52, Mountlake Terrace 50
YAKIMA — Black Hills’ Weston Ainsworth’s putback of a Justin Hicks airball barely beat the buzzer to give the Wolves a stunning win over the Hawks at the 2A Hardwood Classic on Wednesday at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Mountlake Terrace’s Jeffrey Anyimah made a jumper in the paint to tie the game at 50 with 54 seconds remaining, but the Hawks missed a pair of free throws on their ensuing possession to give Black Hills another chance.
Anyimah led Mountlake Terrace (18-8) with 13 points and Mason Christianson tacked on 12.
Hicks led all scorers with 22 points for the Wolves, who advance to face No. 7 Clarkston in a quarterfinal Thursday at 9 p.m.
Black Hills (20-6) led 26-19 at halftime, but Mountlake Terrace got back within striking distance in the third quarter, and the fourth was tight to the end.
Mountlake Terrace
1A BOYS
King’s 68, Zillah 59
YAKIMA — The King’s boys basketball team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A Hardwood Classic with a victory over third-seeded Zillah on Wednesday morning at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
King’s, seeded 14th, plays fourth-seeded River View at 9 a.m. Thursday in a quarterfinal contest.
Wednesday’s game was tied 44-44 at the end of the third quarter. King’s took the lead for good with 6:38 remaining in the contest on a layup by Tyler Linhardt. The Knights sealed the victory by going 7-for-8 from the foul line in the final minute of the game.
Jordan Hansen and Shane McGaughey-Fox each scored 15 points to lead King’s (16-10). Linhardt added 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Jaron Hansen scored 13 points.
The loss ended the season for Zillah, which was led by the 18 points of Sebastian Godina.
1A GIRLS
King’s 65, Montesano 43
YAKIMA — The sixth-seeded Knights were in control throughout against the No. 14 Bulldogs on Wednesday at the 1A Hardwood Classic at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Samantha Skaggs led the way with 19 points for King’s (19-8), which will take on No. 5 La Salle in a quarterfinal matchup Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
Mia Flor and Claire Gallagher chipped in 13 points apiece for the Knights, who shot 45% from the field in the win.
Zoe Hutchings paced Montesano with 12 points.
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