By CJ Bowles

UW News Lab

Following a 37-point loss to Liberty two days prior, Mercer Island High School girls' basketball head coach Jamie Prescott decided that something drastic had to happen.

At practice the following day, she introduced a completely new system to her players during a three-hour practice. If Thursday's first half performance is any indication, the new system is already starting to pay dividends.

Despite losing to Newport 58-44, the Islanders did not allow a field goal in the first quarter and did not trail in the game until there were less than two minutes left in the third quarter.

``The first half was a complete 180 from where we were,'' Prescott said with excitement after the game. ``I was really proud of them and they were playing with a lot of energy.''

The Islanders raced to a 13-3 first quarter lead with 6-foot-2 center Georgia Gier scoring four of her team-leading 12 points in the first eight minutes. Newport did not make its first field goal until 1:35 had elapsed in the second quarter.

While the Knights fought toget back into the game, mounting an 8-3 run, Janelle Chow personally built the lead back up by scoring on three consecutive Islander possessions.

She first intercepted a Knight pass and took it the distance for a lay-in. On the next possession she hit a jumper and in the third trip down court she stepped outside and nailed a three-pointer. She would later steal another pass and take it the distance to finish with nine points.

With an eight-point halftime lead, the Islanders looked poised for a win that has been a long time coming. In fact, the five Mercer Island seniors have never beaten Newport, a streak that dates back to the fourth grade.

``It has always been that way for several years,'' admitted Prescott of her team's lack of luck against Newport. ``I can't remember the last time that Mercer Island beat Newport.''

Then in the second half, everything changed.

It started with fouls. In the third quarter alone, the Islanders committed 10 while the Knights were only whistled three times.

The fouls led to 11 Newport points being converted at the free throw line. Meanwhile, the Islanders were able to manage just nine points in the quarter, thanks in large part to six turnovers.

In fact, the only Islander third-quarter highlight was when Ellie Chapman hoisted a shot just inside half-court stripe as time expired. The ball banked in to reduce the lead to two, the closest it would be the rest of the way.

``In the second half, we were playing with a really high emotional level when we came out,'' explained Prescott. ``They were the aggressor though and we weren't able to match their intensity the rest of the way.''

It was the same story in the fourth as Newport attempted seven more free throws, converting four of them.

Prescott admitted that fatigue played a part in her team's second-half breakdown. There may have also been some confusion with the new system as some players looked out of place on defense, which led to some of the fouls.

Newport was led by Tricia Dixon who converted eight of her 12 free throws and finished with 20 points. Brittany Duerr and Dani Quinn also contributed 12 points for the Knights.

``Overall, I am very proud of the team and we'll get them next time,'' the coach convincingly stated.

The Islander girls played two more games during the weekend. First, Bothell defeated MIHS 58-47 Friday, and then Saturday, Chapman's 21 points helped down Juanita 49-41. Both of the games did not count towards MIHS' conference record.

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