By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Just one week removed from the Metro League’s championship game, Garfield and Lakeside faced off again Saturday night for the district title. Winning the previous two matchups this season, the Bulldogs faced the difficult task in beating a team three times in a row, meanwhile the Lions looked to make the necessary adjustments to prevent from going 0-3 against the Lady Bulldogs.
Escaping with a seven-point win over Lakeside in the Metro championship, Garfield initiated their fast pace and pressure defense from opening tip off. Forcing turnovers on the perimeter and giving themselves second chance points, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game.
Garfield’s Imbie Jones was practically unstoppable as she shot 85% from the field totaling 13 points and seven rebounds on the night. With her shot making ability and dominating the glass, Jones received a lot of attention, which opened up opportunities for Malia Samuels, Navaeh Talbert, and Jayda Lewis, who all scored double digits for the game.
Garfield held a 19-14 late in the second quarter as both teams struggled to score. But with little over a minute left till halftime the Bulldogs ignited a run that would ultimately give them complete control of the game.
Talbert would hit a three-pointer and a floater, while Lewis made a reverse layup to give the Bulldogs a 26-16 lead heading into halftime.
Although Lakeside managed to keep the game somewhat close, Garfield’s defense began to cause havoc. The Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run as they increased their lead to 37-16 just two minutes into the third quarter.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Talbert, layups by Samuels, Jones and Lewis sparked the run and from that moment forward Garfield was in complete control of the game. As they continued to score points, the Bulldogs’ defense allowed Lakeside to only score 17 second half points, as the Bulldogs would go on to defeat Lakeside 55-33.
When asked what was the difference between this matchup and the last, Talbert stated “we studied them more, and took away their main players but a win is a win, and a loss is a loss, on to the next game.”
With the win, Garfield claimed the 2022 3A SeaKing District championship and extend their record to 17-0 heading into regionals next week.
Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Lakeside
