SNOHOMISH — Early in the third quarter, with his team trailing Arlington by 13 points, Glacier Peak girls basketball coach Brian Hill knew he needed to make a change.
Hill put his team into a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap and the strategy had a twofold effect. Glacier Peak got some steals and breakaways, and it also seemed to throw the Arlington offense out of whack. The result was a momentum swing that allowed the Grizzlies to rally for a thrilling 61-58 non-conference victory Monday night in a showdown of two undefeated teams.
Facing a 13-point deficit, “we needed to change something because what we were doing wasn’t working,” Hill said. “I was skeptical to go (from man-to-man) to any zone against them because they shoot really well outside. But we just had to change something.”
As the trapping defense began to pay dividends, the Grizzlies started whittling away at the margin. It was down to eight points at the end of three quarters, and in the early minutes of the fourth period they went on a 13-2 scoring burst for a 54-50 lead.
“It allowed us to do to them what they were doing to us, which was put pressure on us and forcing us into some mistakes,” Hill said. “We were hoping to put it back on them and it worked.”
Still, the visiting Eagles did not go quietly. A 3-pointer by guard Sarah Shortt and a free throw by forward Jayla Russ tied the score, but at that point Glacier Peak eased back in front. The go-ahead points came on a 3-pointer by guard Natalie Rasmussen from left of the key, and after Shortt scored with an offensive putback, Grizzlies guard Sadie Mensing pushed the lead back to three with a shot from near the top of the key.
Russ gave Arlington hope with a basket with 13 seconds remaining, making the score 59-58, but Rasmussen coolly dropped in two free throws with six seconds left for the final margin.
“Arlington is a really good team,” Hill said. After falling behind late in the first quarter, “it was easy for us to put our heads down at times and feel a little dejected. But we just had to keep fighting.”
The Grizzlies got a big lift from sophomore guard Sammy Fatkin, one of the team’s four new starters this season (Mensing is the only returning starter). The 5-foot-10 Fatkin was at the point of the halfcourt trap and she had three layins in a stretch of 90 seconds of the late third and early fourth quarters.
Fatkin also had the highlight play of the game, delivering a one-handed behind-the-back pass off the dribble to teammate Kayla Watkins, who unfortunately missed the layin.
“She’s special,” Hill said of Fatkin, who led all scorers with 16 points. “Her composure and her poise, even with their pressure. Arlington had to kind of get out of their press because they couldn’t stop her. She’s pretty fast (in the open court).”
The win raises Glacier Peak’s record to 6-0, and Hill said he is understandably “really happy with my team right now.”
Arlington coach Joe Marsh was disappointed with the outcome, “but as I just told (the team), that was a great high school basketball game. We got more value out of that tonight than anything else, and now we need to take from this and learn a lesson.
“The lesson is, when the game gets tight like that we have to be able to handle it. I felt like we were in control of the game for most of the game. But then they made an adjustment and went to their zone trap, and their length bothered us. We didn’t handle it and that’s disappointing.”
But despite the loss, “that did not look like a December basketball game,” Marsh said. That’s two really good teams going toe to toe. … It was a pressure situation, and for me the value of that was great.”
Guard Emma Janousek had 13 points for the Eagles, who dropped to 5-1.
At Glacier Peak H.S.
Arlington22111510—58
Glacier Peak13121620—61
Arlington—Gracie Castaneda 6, Serafina Balderas 0, Sarah Short 10, Sevi Bielser 10, Brittany DeNike 0, Olivia Larson 2, Emma Janousek 13, Jessica Ludwig 9, Jayla Russ 8. Glacier Peak—Sadie Mensing 13, Natalie Rasmussen 11, Charlie Sevenants 0, Maya McFadden 0, Sierra Nash 0, Kianna Garner 3, Samantha Fatkin 16, Paisley Johnson 9, Kayla Watkins 9. 3-point goals—Short 2, Bielser 2, Ludwig 1, Fatkin 2, Rasmussen 1, Garner 1. Records—Arlington 5-1 overall. Glacier Peak 6-0.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
