By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Looking to defend their 3A state title, the Garfield Lady Bulldogs would face a Metro League rival in Lakeside one last time in this year’s state tournament. Garfield, unbeaten throughout the postseason, has shown opponents why they’ve been deemed the number one seed this year, with their scoring ability and dominance on defense.
Lakeside, led by Claire O’Connor and Mia Broom, have had an up-and-down postseason. Their 73-62 loss against Arlington placed them in a loser-out game versus Auburn Mountainview, which they won 47-27 before advancing to play Garfield in the quarterfinals.
From the opening tip-off, the Lady Bulldogs imposed their will on Lakeside, as they held the Lions to just one shot per possession and got into the passing lanes for steals, which led to easy points on fastbreaks. Offensively, Sarah Lessig and Jayda Lewis continuously made their presence felt around the basket.
Despite a strong start, the Lady Bulldogs held a slim two-point lead at 10-8 heading into the second quarter. However, behind the play of Lewis, Kahmiya Bryant, and Rakiyah Jackson, Garfield found their groove.
With O’Connor being plagued by foul trouble, Lakeside relied on Broom to keep them in the game, as she did everything to keep her team competitive. But Garfield would force Lakeside into 11 turnovers and hold the Lions to just 11 percent shooting from three-point range, building a 23-16 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Lady Bulldogs would continue their defensive dominance with on-ball pressure, drawing charges, and consistently forcing turnovers. Offensively, Lessig couldn’t be stopped in the paint as she finished the game with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Jackson’s scoring would also come alive as she hit a critical three-point shot going into the fourth quarter.
Facing a 35-27 deficit, Lakeside’s Broom would provide a spark, scoring 9 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Willa Chinn followed suit by scoring 6 of her 10 points to help the Lions go on a run.
Embracing their opponent’s run, Garfield’s Katie Fiso would take the game over in the final minutes, making free throws, stealing an inbounds pass for a layup, and ultimately sealing the game with a steal that she converted for a layup and getting a rebound, which led to a layup by Lessig.
Weathering a late surge from Lakeside, the Lady Bulldogs edged out a 53-46 victory behind Lewis’s 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 steals to advance to the semifinal, where they’ll face fourth-seeded Mead.
Pictorial highlights of Garfield Girls vs Lakeside
Boxscore
