Lake Stevens High School Athletics
Grante Falls High School Athletics
Purple and Gold Pigskin

Viking girls and boys basketball teams were still alive at their respective District Tournaments last week as each split a pair of games.  Both were in danger of being eliminated if they lose another game.

At Jackson 72 Lake boys 36 (February 5)

Lake was blown out for the first time all season in this game.  The Vikings looked flat and listless from the outset, playing with little energy, and that proved fatal against Jackson, the state’s third-ranked (and only undefeated) 4A team.  The Timberwolves were in top form, dominating on offense and defense from start to finish.

The quarter scores were 19-9, 39-12 and 59-21.  Lake did manage to outscore Jackson by 15-13 in the final quarter, by which time the reserves had taken over.

The stats tell the tale.  Jackson made 30 of 51 field goals (including eight of 16 threes) for 59 percent, to Lake’s 24 percent on 13 of 53 (including one of 15 threes).  Jackson out-rebounded Lake by 36-29.  Guards Devin Stoen and Dakota Tomson, upon whom Lake depends for the bulk of its offense, were a combined six of 21 from the field, including one of seven threes.

 

 Lake boys 67 at Kamiak 51 (February 8)

 In a complete reversal of form from the Jackson game, Lake came out aggressive, focused and hungry at Kamiak as it fought tooth and nail to keep its season alive.

This may well have been Lake’s best game of the season, both offensively and defensively, especially the defense. 

Lake contested every possession, holding the high scoring Knights to one of their lowest totals of the season and to just 32 percent shooting (19 of 60, including six of 26 threes). 

Lake played its most efficient game of the season on offense, netting 25 of 46 field goals for 54 percent, including four of nine threes.

There were many heroes for Lake in this game.  Moussa Sanoh was glued to Imaan Vicente, holding him to 11 points (about 10 below his season average), and Sanoh also posted his best offensive game of the season, scoring on eight of 11 shots for 16 points.  Tomson frustrated Knight guard Josh Wisnubroto into a mere six-point game.

With three baskets by Stoen and a three by Ryan Lian (who finished with three of four from that range) Lake sped to a 9-0 lead, holding Kamiak scoreless for the game’s first four and a half minutes.

The Vikings led by 13-5 at the quarter break but the Knights fought back behind nine offensive rebounds in the second quarter to forge a 27-27 tie at the break.

The teams traded baskets in the first six minutes of the third quarter (red-hot Sanoh nailing five straight shots) but Lake scored the final seven points of the period, behind a Lian three, a pair of free throws by Jared Rahn and CJ Lat’s bank shot, making it 44-37 entering the fourth.

Lake pulled steadily further ahead in the final period, making seven of nine field goals and seven of eight free throws.  Stoen opened the quarter with two quick mid-range jumpers and Tomson and Lian each sank threes to cement Lake’s lead. 
Lake was not to be denied, playing at its best in the fourth quarter of a game for one of the few times this season.

Stoen finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.  Stoen, Tomson and Lian each dished out five assists.  Lian’s totals included 13 points, two assists and eight rebounds.  Rahn contributed seven points and six rebounds.  Tomson scored nine points.

At Lake girls 55 Edmonds-Woodway 44 (February 6)

Lake overcame a slow start and the domination under the basket of Edmonds-Woodway’s Sidney Eck (who scored 28 points and took down 16 rebounds) to win its District opener.

Lake missed its first eight shots of the game and trailed by 13-6 after one quarter but warmed up in the second period, going eight of 13 to pull within 25-24 at the half.  Three baskets and a free throw by Brooke Pahukoa spearheaded the comeback.

Lake’s good shooting continued in the third quarter, notably by Brooke who scored four baskets and two free throws in the period, which ended with Lake ahead by 40-32.

Lake’s shooting fell off a bit in the fourth quarter but the Vikings were able to nail seven straight free throws to stay out of danger.  Two baskets and two free throws by Alex Briggs helped keep Lake fairly comfortably on top.

Brooke’s all-around game included 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot.  Her sister Brittney scored only four points but assisted on seven baskets and also had three rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.   Kali Long had seven points and seven rebounds.

Lake was out-rebounded by 39-28 but committed just 10 turnovers to E-W’s 21.
Lake missed all 15 of its three point shots while E-W made one of fifteen.
 
Lynnwood 45 Lake 36  (At Mountlake Terrace February 9)
 
Lake’s shooting touch under the in-your-face defense of Wesco’s best team, Lynnwood, wilted in this winner-to-Regionals game at Terrace.  The Vikings were held to a miserable 25 percent on 15 of 59 from the field (including three of 21 threes).

Even so, Lake, playing outstanding defense of its own (Lynnwood finished with 15 of 44 (including three of 11 threes) for 34 percent, was in contention until late in the game.

After spotting the Royals a 14-8 advantage after the first quarter Lake came alive for a 13-point run in the second quarter to take a 23-18 lead with about a minute to go in the period.  But Lake mismanaged its game in that final minute, allowing a pair of Royal baskets to make it 23-22 at the half.

That 13-point run was the only time during the game that Lake played its style of upbeat, productively helter-skelter ball.  The run began with a Brooke jumper and ended with a Brooke put-back and featured three straight baskets by Brittney, two of them threes.  Lake forced five Royal turnovers during that streak.

Unfortunately the Vikings failed to hold on to that momentum in the second half.  After Long opened with a lay-in for a 25-22 Viking lead Lake missed nine of its final 10 shots of the quarter (the one make was a three by Brittney which gave Lake its last lead of the game at 28-26).  Lynnwood scored the final eight points of the quarter to lead by 34-28 entering the fourth.

Lake missed eight of its first nine shots in the fourth quarter and its final five shots of the game, going three for 16 in the period.  Consecutive baskets by Brooke and by Long brought Lake to within 37-34 with 3:12 left in the game, but that was the last time Lake was able to score.

Shot of the game was a three by Arsenia Ivanov at 2:45 which expanded the Royals’ lead to 40-34.  Neither team scored a field goal after that but Lynnwood made its final five free throws to win by 45-36.

Lynnwood, led by Mikayla Pivic and Jasmine Edwards, with 13 and 10 boards respectively, out-rebounded Lake by 44-37 despite 10 each by Brooke and Long.

Brittney was the only Viking who found her shooting range, finishing with 15 points on five of nine from the field (including three of five threes).   Brooke converted only four of 22 shots for nine points overall.

Brittney had five assists, five rebounds and two steals.  Long had six points and three steals.  Pivic with 18 points was Lynnwood’s only double-figure scorer. Lake had 15 turnovers, Lynnwood 19.