Lady Braves hoop team races to top of league standings
Four games, four wins, four days
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May 26, 2021
SURE SHOT – Aubrie Sloniker (1) goes up for a sure two points during La Conner’s 87-6 home rout of NW2B rival Darrington on Friday. All 10 players scored for the hosts, who improved to 4-0 on the campaign with the lopsided win. – Photo by Bill Reynolds
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no state basketball tournament this year.
But the La Conner High girls’ basketball team, the defending state tourney runner-up, played – and won – four games in four days – similar to the Hardwood Classic format in Spokane – to tip off its modified spring season last week.
And one of those matchups, a home clash with 1A King’s High School at Landy James Gym on Wednesday, very much resembled a state caliber game.
La Conner fought back from a 24-16 halftime deficit to post a 46-41 triumph over a King’s team whose featured player, Jada Wynn, daughter of former University of Washington women’s head coach Jody Wynn, scored a team-best 16 points.
Wynn, however, was unable to stem a second half La Conner surge.
“At halftime,” La Conner coach Scott Novak told the Weekly News, “I told the girls we did a good job of holding them to 24 points. We just didn’t hit our shots.”
Indeed, the Lady Braves struggled from behind the trey arc in the first half, hitting just one of 10 three-point attempts.
Novak felt some of those shots were rushed.
“My feeling,” he said, “was we took a couple early shots on a few possessions where they got the rebound and were able to score in transition. So, we focused on working on our offense and making the extra pass and coming up with clutch plays.”
The prime beneficiary was La Conner guard Josie Harper, who finished with a game-high 18 points, 14 in the second half.
“I’m not surprised,” Novak said, noting that Harper’s 18 points matched her season average. “She’s a really good player.”
Ellie Marble added 12 points and seven rebounds for the victors. Juna Swanson contributed seven points and five assists. Rachel Cram chipped in six points, all after halftime and Sarah Cook rounded out the La Conner attack with three tallies.
None of La Conner’s other three games last week were close.
The Lady Braves drubbed Concrete 88-10 at home last Tuesday, defeated Friday Harbor 62-15 on San Juan Island Thursday and routed Darrington 87-6 Friday at Landy James Gym.
The Concrete and Darrington games were played with a running clock in the second half because La Conner had built such lopsided halftime leads.
The Lady Braves were up 58-2 at the break against Concrete. La Conner led Darrington 55-6 at intermission after having been in front 43-0 midway through the second quarter.
Darrington broke its scoring drought on an eight-foot bank shot by Carly Lawrence with just under four minutes left in the first half.
The Lady Braves rarely had to rely on their half-court offense against either Concrete or Darrington. The bulk of their scoring came in transition off turnovers, mostly on breakaway layups.
Harper scored 21 points to pace 10 La Conner scorers opposite Darrington. Cram and Marble also landed in double figures, with 16 and 12 points, respectively. Cram’s total included a pair of perimeter treys.
Cook had nine points and Avery Sloniker meshed eight, mostly in the paint. Aubrie Sloniker (7), Katie Watkins (6), Swanson (4), ShaeLee Starr (2) and Shay Solomon (2) were part of the point parade as well.
Harper (20), Cook (16) and Swanson (11) scored in double figures at Friday Harbor. Marble (8), Cram (4), Avery Sloniker (2) and Watkins (1) also reached the scoring column.
La Conner (4-0) is scheduled to resume action tomorrow (Thursday) in Coupeville at 5:15 p.m. The next home date is June 1 (5:30 p.m.) with Mount Vernon Christian.
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