Cheney had just executed some of the best team basketball imaginable Thursday when will-o'-the-wisp sophomore Sheila Lambert played almost beyond imagination.
Lambert, a lightning-quick 5-foot-7 guard, scored 10 of her 21 points during an 18-2 second-half run as Chief Sealth beat Cheney 55-50 during the girls State AA high school basketball tournament at the Tacoma Dome.
Cheney led 39-33 late in the third quarter after Anna Getz, Toni Bifano, Kara Weitman and Lisa Anderson conducted a clinic on how to play team ball. All scored during a blistering 16-3 run that took just 4 minutes, 20 seconds.
In nearly the same amount of time, however, Lambert displayed some incredible moves - a coast-to-coast layup following a steal, a drive through the middle past four defenders and a short bank shot after spinning past two Blackhawks.
When Lambert finished, the Seahawks (19-4) led 51-41 with 5:51 to go. Although Getz shot Cheney within two points in the late stages, the Blackhawks couldn't counter for the 16 consecutive shots they missed from all spots during the Lambert-led spree.
The Seahawks' early morning win avenged last year's 49-43 loss to Cheney. Last year's Day Two game, however, was a quarterfinal, leaving both teams in the double-elimination field. This time, Cheney (20-6) found itself leaving early.
"We weren't expecting to be saying goodbye today," said second-year coach Marty Jessett, who guided the Blackhawks to sixth place last year. "We had a great feeling that we'd be playing until Saturday."
Aware of Lambert from last year, Jessett stuck his best defensive player, Anderson, on the slim soph - with relief from Ginger Ewing. Lambert, who especially exploited fast-break opportunities, shot 8 of 16 from the field and led her team with nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocked shots.
Sturdy inside players Fono Keni and Dorothy Talamaivao scored twice apiece at the end of the first half to build a 28-23 CS lead. Many of the game's seven ties or 11 lead changes occurred in the first half.
Lambert's breakaway layup started the second half, then Cheney took control. During one sequence, the Blackhawks hit nine of the 11 shots they put up.
"We made a good run before they made one back on us," Jessett said. "I really thought we were going to win it."
As quickly as Cheney's shooting touch appeared, it slipped away. A pair of Christine Reagan free throws were all the Blackhawks generated during a 7-minute stretch.
With CS protecting a 51-49 lead in the final minute, Reagan missed a short jumper inside the key and Bifano missed two free throws. The Seahawks sealed the win at the line.
Jessett saluted his seniors - Reagan for battling back from a midseason knee injury, Bifano for key steals and rebounds, and Anderson for a career of hustling defense - and said they owned much of the credit for a 45-8 record during the past two years.
"We could definitely be back here again next year, but I told (the underclassmen) that they'd have to put in the time," Jessett said.
Chief Sealth 55, Cheney 50
Cheney 12 11 18 9 -50
Chief Sealth 14 14 15 12 -55
CHENEY Ewing 3, Bifano 6, Weitman 7, Getz 15, Anderson 12, VanMatre 0, Reagan 7. CHIEF SEALTH Ortega 4, Clinton 0, Siatunuu 11, Keni 13, Talamaivao 6, Lambert 21, Meyers 0, Chaffen 0, Ellison 0.
