Lady Braves thump star-spangled Liberty lineup

Liberty Spangle arrived in Everett Friday boasting a lineup featuring twin 6-foot-1 inside scoring threats Maisie Burnham and Aleena Cook.

But it was Justine Benson and the La Conner High Lady Braves who came up big with a convincing 54-44 Regional hoops triumph that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.

La Conner (20-3) led by as many as 20 points in the fourth period before coasting to the win and earning a spot in the winner’s bracket tomorrow (Thursday) of the state 2B Hardwood Classic at the Spokane Arena, likely opposite St. George’s in a much anticipated 7:15 tipoff.

Both teams were assured of Spokane berths based on their seeding in the Regional Round of Sixteen.

La Conner was seeded third. Liberty Spangle, located less than a half-hour drive from Spokane, brought a No. 6 seed to Everett.

Benson finished with a game-high 28 points Friday night, scoring on an array of shots – transition layups, mid-range jumpers, perimeter treys, and even a rolling hook in the lane high off the glass over Burnham.

“We did a lot to create shots for Justine,” La Conner head coach Scott Novak said afterward. “She’s a mismatch for anyone, especially for taller players. If they don’t come out and guard her, she’ll hit the outside shot over them. If they do come out and guard her, she’ll go around them with the dribble.”

Benson beat two defenders off the dribble, in fact, while drawing a shooting foul and earning two free throws to give La Conner its largest lead of the night at 54-34 with 3:43 to play.

Burnham led Liberty Spangle with 25 points, though many came after the game had been decided.

La Conner’s Rachel Cram, a 5-foot-5 freshman, shadowed Burnham all over the court as the Lady Braves employed a box-and-one defense on the Liberty Spangle scoring leader.

“Rachel did a great job on Burnham, making her work on every possession,” said Novak.

Burnham has one of the more recognizable names in Washington state’s B ranks. Her mom, Cheri, was a standout volleyball player at Reardan. Her dad, Blaze Burnham, scored 2,112 points over four years as a 6-foot-6 post at St. John High.

But Friday night it was La Conner’s balance that drew the most attention.

While Benson and Juna Swanson did most of the scoring, Novak said his entire roster contributed mightily.

“We only played six players,” he said, “but we had a great week of practice leading up to this game. And a lot of that has to do with our depth. The kids who didn’t play made us better by being so competitive in practice.”

Those that did play made their marks in different ways, said Novak.

Benson and Swanson (10) scored in double-digits. Cram pressed Burnham from baseline to baseline. Sarah Cook scored seven points during La Conner’s decisive 21-7 spurt in the second frame. Morgan Herrera, though limited by foul trouble, grabbed key rebounds in the early going. And Matty Lagerwey came off the bench to deliver six rebounds and a pair of assists.

“Matty,” Novak said, “was huge for us. She came in and made some great passes.”

As has been its custom of late, La Conner strove to make the extra pass to find open shooters.

That resulted in a superb night from the floor. La Conner converted six of 10 three-point attempts and 15 of 24 shots inside the trey arc, hitting 62 per cent overall.

Now the Lady Braves hope to give it their best shot in Spokane this week.