By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last night, the Lakeside Lions faced off against the Lincoln Abes in a loser-out regional playoff matchup in the Girls 3A State Basketball Tournament at Bellevue College. With a trip to next week’s state tournament at the Tacoma Dome on the line, both teams understood the stakes, and the intensity showed from the opening tip.
Lakeside struck first as Sienna Olson set the tone with an early three-point shot. Lincoln’s Oliviyah Edward and Lakeside’s Phoebe Porter traded baskets to bring the score to 5–2 in favor of the Lions. After the quick burst of offense, both defenses tightened up, leading to a long scoreless stretch as each team struggled to find clean looks.
Edward eventually broke through with a three-point shot to tie the game at 5–5, but Lakeside’s Lili Brown answered immediately with a three of her own to regain the lead at 8–5. Olson followed with another three-point shot, capping a 6–0 Lakeside run that stretched the lead to 11–5. Lincoln had a chance to trim the deficit at the free-throw line, but Edward missed both attempts. Aanjili Sanehi responded with a quick layup to make it 11–7. However, Olson struck again in the final 30 seconds with her third three-point shot of the quarter as Lakeside closed out the first quarter with a 14–7 lead.
Lakeside started the second quarter right where it left off. Ava Jones was fouled on a three-point attempt and converted two of three free throws, extending the lead to 16–7. Edward answered with another three-point shot to keep Lincoln within reach, but Lakeside continued to control the tempo of the game.
The pace quickened as both teams began trading baskets. Olson remained hot from beyond the arc, adding two more three-point shots, while Edward kept Lincoln in the game with a three-point shot and two late free throws. Despite Lincoln’s efforts, Lakeside maintained its lead and entered halftime with a 32–23 advantage.
Lincoln came out of the break determined to shift the momentum. After forcing a turnover on Lakeside’s opening possession, Edward led a quick 4–0 run to cut the deficit to 32–27. The defensive intensity increased on both sides, and signs of fatigue began to show as the pace remained high.
Phoebe Porter steadied the Lions with a personal 4–0 run, pushing the lead back to 36–27 and forcing Lincoln to call a timeout with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter to regroup. After the break, Anvhi Bhatia added a free throw for Lakeside to make it 37–27, but Edward refused to let the game slip away. She knocked down back-to-back jump shots, cutting the lead to single digits once again.
Bhatia answered with a basket to keep Lakeside in front, but Edward continued to attack, scoring on a strong drive that prompted a Lakeside timeout with 1:27 remaining in the quarter. Lincoln’s rebounding and defensive skills were impressive as the Abes were constantly grabbing their own rebounds and nearly forcing Lakeside into shot clock violations. Shavayah Barnes and Edward each converted putbacks in the closing moments, finishing an 8–0 Lincoln run that trimmed the deficit to just two points at 39–37 heading into the fourth quarter.
Lincoln opened the fourth with a bang as Edward buried a three-point shot to take a 40–39 lead, but Porter answered at the line, splitting a pair of free throws to tie the game at 40. The pace quickened when Brown snagged a steal, only for Barnes to take it right back before being called for a traveling violation. Bhatia powered in for two to make it 42–40, and Lincoln’s Aanjili Sanehi responded with a clutch three-point shot to give Lincoln a 43–42 lead.
The teams continued to trade scores, with Sanehi adding a bucket inside before Bhatia answered. Sanehi then drilled another three-point shot to tie the game at 46.
Olson edged Lakeside back in front with a free throw, but Edward powered through contact for a 48–47 Lincoln lead. With tension building, Bhatia missed two key free throws, and Lincoln called a timeout with 4:35 remaining.
Following the timeout, Porter slipped under the rim for two to give Lakeside a 49–48 edge. Edward responded once more with a strong drive, but Brown delivered perhaps the biggest sequence of the night. After coming up with a steal, she finished at the rim to give the Lions a 53–50 lead with 1:09 remaining.
Brown then calmly converted a free throw to stretch the lead to four points. Lincoln had opportunities down the stretch, including a late steal by Italia Roland, but the Abes could not capitalize. Brown was sent to the line again in the final seconds and buried two more free throws to seal the game. Lakeside secured one final steal and dribbled out the clock to close out a hard-fought 57–50 victory.
Lakeside was led by Olson, who finished with 16 points, including five three-point shots that set the early tone. Lincoln was powered by Edward, who finished with 38 of the Abes’ 50 points.
After the game, Lakeside head coach Sandy Schneider praised her team’s resilience.
“We played a gritty game against a determined Lincoln team that featured Tennessee-bound Oliviyah Edwards,” said Schneider. “The outcome was in doubt until the last minute when our senior point guard, Lili Brown, buried her free throws to seal the deal.”
Photos/Aaron Allen
