Girls state: Mead beats Eastmont in opening round, takes different different path to Tacoma; Lakeside stays alive in 1A

The Mead girls team has played on the Saturday of the State 3A tournament at the Tacoma Dome each of the past three seasons. But this is a new team, in a new classification, and in its first year without two-time Greater Spokane League MVP Teryn Gardner, who graduated and is playing for Boise State .

The Panthers finished third in the league this season and fought through a loser-out game in the district tournament to reach state, just to be rewarded with the No. 9 seed and another loser-out game in the opening round.

They are taking a different path, but they’ll be playing in Tacoma again.

Addison Wells Morrison hit five 3-pointers and led Mead with 19 points as the Panthers eliminated 16th-seeded Eastmont 56-47 in a State 4A opening-round game at Central Valley High School on Saturday.

Mead faces No. 1 seed Davis of Yakima in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday at 9 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome. Davis was upset by eighth-seeded Sumner 67-62 in the opening round.

“(Eastmont) was gonna make it chaotic, which is something we normally do,” Mead coach Quantae Anderson said. “I felt like we kind of got out of our comfort zone in that first half, but we came back with a little more composure in that second half.”

Mead junior Reese Frederick, who scored 16 points, has played in two state semifinals and a final for a young team which has just two seniors and making its own path.

“I think that it kind of gives us a chip on our shoulder,” she said. “We are a different team, but we’re still Mead basketball and we’re still here and we’re still a great team.”

“Our goal is to play on Saturday still,” Anderson said. “We’re gonna go in there, we’re gonna have a lot of rest, and we’re gonna play late and we’re just gonna have to go out in a different way.”

It was a physical game, with bodies on the floor and both teams in foul trouble much of the game.

“That’s just how a lot of these state games are, because everyone wants to win,” Frederick said. “Everyone just gives it 100% and sometimes that’s what it ends up being.”

Morrison and Frederick hit early 3-pointers and Mead led 16-15 after one quarter. Lexi Pilkington scored eight points in the second for Eastmont, and Mead held a 29-27 lead at halftime.

Mead came out of the lockers cold, and Eastmont grabbed its first lead at 31-29. Panthers reserve sophomore Dylan Thielman, who averaged 2.1 points per game in limited playing time this season, hit a corner 3-pointer with 1:50 left in the quarter and Mead led 43-40 entering the fourth.

It was Thielman’s only basket of the game.

“The best part about that was that (Thielman) was calm and collected,” Anderson said. “But the bench knew, and those starters knew how big of a moment that was for her, and it was just cool to see everyone get so excited.”

Morrison hit back-to-back 3-pointers – her fourth and fifth of the game – to put Mead up by seven early in the fourth quarter. Offense was at a premium in the quarter, and Mead led 49-47 with 2:35 to go.

Frederick hit a 3-pointer with 70 seconds to go, then came up with a steal at the other end. Julie Thoet made a pair at the line with 37 seconds left to make it a seven-point game.

“I think the three kind of got me going, and then it gave me the motivation to get that next stop on defense,” Frederick said. “I saw her eyes and was like, ‘Oh, I got that one.’ “

1A

(13) Lakeside 41, (12) Cedar Park Christian 40: Bella Tobeck led three in double figures with 11 points, and the Eagles (15-9) eliminated Cedar Park Christian (14-6) in an opening-round game at Bellevue College. Lakeside faces fifth-seeded Annie Wright in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday.

2B

(4) Reardan 53, (5) Napavine 36: Chasyn Waters scored 11 points, and the Screaming Eagles (22-2) beat the Tigers (19-7) in an opening-round game at West Valley High School. Reardan advances to a quarterfinal on Thursday at the Arena.

(10) Liberty 73, (15) Okanogan 29: The Lancers (20-7) eliminated the Bulldogs (14-12) in an opening-round game at Central Valley High School. Liberty faces seventh-seeded Cle Elum-Roslyn in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday.

(12) Colfax 62, (13) Tri-City Prep 29: Brenna Gilchrist scored 25 points, and the Bulldogs (15-13) eliminated the Jaguars (13-13) in an opening-round game at Cheney High School. Colfax faces fifth-seeded Napavine in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday.

1B

(9) Oakesdale 61, (15) Taholah 29: Grace Perry scored 16 points, Megan Crider added 15 and the Nighthawks (19-5) eliminated the Chitwhins (18-7) in an opening-round game at Cheney High School. Oakesdale plays Pe Ell-Roslyn in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday.

(11) Sunnyside Christian 58, (14) Almira/Coulee-Hartline 45: The Knights (19-5) eliminated the Warriors (15-11) in an opening-round game at Davis High in Yakima. Sunnyside Christian faces fifth-seed Inchelium in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday.

(13) Wilbur-Creston-Keller 57, (12) Crosspoint Christian 56: The Wildcats (15-6) eliminated Crosspoint Christian (17-8) in an opening-round game at Mount Tahoma High School. WCK faces fourth-seeded Yakama Tribal in a Round of 12 game on Wednesday.