Lamb, Frosh Trio Preserve Streak Eagles Defeat Indians With 23-Point Surge In Last Period

Working three freshmen into the lineup becomes easier with someone like Tricia Lamb around.

Lamb added a chapter to her storied career Friday by salvaging St. John-Endicott’s winning streak with 15 fourth-quarter points during a 54-52 girls non-league comeback win at Reardan (7-1).

The defending State B champion Eagles (8-0) have won 38 consecutive games. The record for B girls is 52, set by Raymond in 1988-89.

“Right now we’re 8-0 and that’s all we think about,” SJE coach Lorin Carlon said of the streak. “I thought we might be 4-4 by now, but the young kids are coming through.”

Eagles freshmen Desi Zuger, Breanna Schmick and Jennifer Headlund combined for 24 points, nearly matching Lamb’s 28.

The Washington State University-bound Lamb has scored more than 1,000 career points. Five of those points broke Reardan’s hopes: a 3-pointer to tie the game at 50 with 1:04 left and two free throws with 6 seconds left for the win.

“We tried not to dig ourselves in too big a hole,” Lamb said after SJE rallied from deficits of 9-1, 20-10 and 33-26.

SJE is 83-8 since Lamb’s freshman year.

Friday’s result reminded Reardan coach Bryce Wilson of last year’s State B matchup, when the Eagles rallied in the final minutes to advance to the semifinals.

“You just have to get over that little mental hump,” Wilson said. “You just have to have that finisher.”

Reardan’s Catheryn Jayne dogged Lamb, holding the 5-foot-10 wing to 4-of-16 shooting from the floor for nearly three quarters.

“She was one of the best to ever defend me,” Lamb said.

But Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 1:29 left in the third quarter, then made her first four field goals in the fourth. The final basket in the string gave SJE its first lead, 41-39 with 5:22 left.

The lead changed hands four more times until the Eagles forced a steal with 49 seconds left. Lamb found the loose ball and hit a streaking Schmick for a layup, a reminder of last year, when sister Andee Schmick teamed up with Lamb.

“(Schmick) had big points and some big steals out there,” Carlon said. “Something good seems to happen whenever we put her in.”

Jayne’s two free throws tied the game at 52 with 19 seconds left, then Kristen Turner fouled Lamb on a clear-out play. After Lamb’s free throws, Jayne dribbled the ball off her foot out of bounds.

Katie Supinger made 7 of 9 field goals and 5 of 6 free throws for Reardan. Lamb held Turner, a double-figures scorer, to eight, but the junior 6-footer was sick.

“We’ve become progressively better,” said Wilson, ready for a Bi-County League showdown with Ritzville (4-0 in league). “This is our first close game and the experience will help.”

SJE begins its Whitman County League defense Friday, after a non-leaguer with Wilbur-Creston.

St.John-Endicott 54, Reardan 52

St.John-Endicott 10 8 13 23 - 54

Reardan 15 9 11 17 - 52

ST. JOHN-ENDICOTT Ki. Colyar 0, Ko. Colyar 0, Bafus 2, Kleweno 0, Lamb 28, Loomis 0, Zuger 10, Kile 0, Schmick 9, Headlund 5. REARDAN Jayne 7, Schwartz 0, Krupke 15, Evans 0, Soliday 3, Plummer 0, Turner 8, Supinger 19. , DataTimes