RENTON – The Mount Si Wildcats girls basketball team broke their three-game losing streak last Wednesday at Liberty and it was all about the big three.
Junior Nicole Remish scored 22 points and seniors Rachel Travis (19) and Whitney Beyerlin (19) added significant contributions as the Wildcats picked up what likely will be their most important win of the season over the Patriots, 69-57.
The win was important in two ways. First, it broke a demoralizing three-game losing skid against the league’s best (Issaquah, Newport, and Bellevue), and secondly, it gave Mount Si a head-to-head advantage against Liberty should the two teams end up tied in the standings at the end of the season.
Defense was also key, as the Wildcats held the Patriots to just 22 points in the entire second half to rally from a halftime deficit. Tori Ewing grabbed 10 rebounds as Mount Si out-rebounded Liberty 32-24. The Wildcats turned the ball over only 18 times, the lowest since their road win earlier this month at Mercer Island.
Jessie Simons picked up a game-high 26 for Liberty in a losing cause.
It was an easy night for the Wildcats Friday against Sammamish as the team clinched a conference tournament berth with a 78-17 pummeling of the Totems.
Whitney Beyerlin scored 18 points and Nicole Remish added 14 as all Mount Si players scored in the contest. Mount Si dominated Sammamish in all facets of the game.
“I thought this was a good opportunity for us to work on some of our things that we haven’t been able to do in big games, like Issaquah and Bellevue, and we were able to push the ball ahead and work on our fast pace game, which is, I think, our best aspect,” Remish said.
Mount Si’s defense held Sammamish scoreless in the first quarter and it wasn’t until 2:51 was left in the second quarter that the Totems finally scored, courtesy of a bucket by Andrea Berkey. She finished with four points. Kelsey Hasselblad scored eight points to lead Sammamish, who finally got things going in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late.
Wildcat coach Dirk Hansen sympathized with the Totems’ plight.
“Sammamish is a little down right now, and their coach [Eric Weber] is trying hard. He is a new coach this year and he’s kind of been thrown to the lions,” Hansen said. “It’s just going to take a little time but Weber’s a real good guy and I feel for him right now.”
The victory for Mount Si did not come without its bumps. Senior Shannon Posey left the game early with 1:29 left in the contest after suffering an apparent head injury. After the game ended, she appeared normal. Posey, who finished the game with six points, said she felt good and would be available this week.
Fellow senior Kaycee Crossan was pleased with the overall balance of the win.
“I thought out whole team did a really good job, and I’m glad everyone scored,” Crossan said.
The Wildcats wrap up their home schedule Friday against Mercer Island. The 7:30 p.m. game will be the final home game for Crossan, Posey, Beyerlin, Travis, Marie Will and Amy Brevick.
