By Shaun Scott
sscott@bellevuereporter.com
In a matchup featuring Class 3A KingCo rivals, the Mercer Island Islanders girls basketball team reigned supreme against the Juanita Rebels on the hardwood.
The Islanders (5-0 overall) kept their undefeated season perfectly intact with a 71-63 win against the Rebels on Dec. 16 in Kirkland. Mercer Island head coach Gillian d’Hondt, who is in her first season as the team’s coach, wasn’t surprised Juanita provided her squad with its toughest challenge to date this season.
“Tonight was the barometer of where we’re at. I told the girls (before the game) that we had to come out and show everybody what we could do and really set the tone for where we want to be in the future of this season,” d’Hondt said. “I think they did a great job. They fought to the end and were patient when they needed to be. I’m really proud of the girls.”
Mercer Island bolted out to a 24-17 lead in the first quarter but saw it evaporate in the second period. Juanita guard Tea Adams scored 18 of her team’s 20 second quarter points as Juanita built a 37-32 lead at halftime. The majority of Adamspoints came on driving lay-ups. She finished with a game-high 34 points.
“She’s tough,” d’Hondt said of Adams. “We knew she wanted to go to the hole but we knew she could shoot as well so that was the difficult part. She was going to the hole tonight and took it 1-on-5 at times. She is a really good player.”
The Islanders outscored the Rebels 19-13 in the third quarter, taking a 51-50 lead. In the final eight minutes of play, Mercer Island senior guard Jessica Blakeslee sealed the victory scoring nine of her team’s 20 points to help put the game away.Blakeslee’s bucket with 1:38 left in regulation gave Mercer Island a 64-61 lead.
“The past three games we had won by double digits so we knew this was going to be a real test for us,” Blakeslee said. “This game just showed that we are one of the best teams in the (KingCo) league.”
The Islanders will make a trip to Southern California over the holiday break to compete against top notch West Coast competition.
“I feel like we are gaining confidence. With our new offensive sets, I feel like we are on a good roll. We are going to San Diego for a Christmas tournament. It will be good for team bonding and we will be that much tougher coming into the new year,” d’Hondt said.
