It was good night for Mercer Island basketball Friday, Jan. 24 at Interlake High School, as the Islanders’ girls and boys basketball teams each saw wins against the Saints.

Despite trailing 6-4 after the first quarter, the Mercer Island girls went on a scoring tear in a decisive second half to runaway with a 51-29 victory. The win improved the Islanders’ KingCo record to 8-3 and its overall record to 10-6. Julia Blumenstein and Jamie Mounger both reached double figures for Mercer Island, with Blumenstein leading the way 13 points followed by Mounger’s 11. Rachel Tessem had 8 points, and Jess Blakeslee and Anna Luce each contributed 6 points for Mercer Island.

It was a more contested affair in the night’s second game for the Mercer Island boys. After trailing by one at the end of the first quarter, the Islanders pulled ahead in the second, capping a 22-point quarter with a last-second 3-pointer to take a 32-27 lead into halftime. Another 20-point quarter in the third gave the Islanders a nine-point lead, which they were able to hold on the way to a 63-52 win. Jake Stenberg led the Islanders in scoring with 17 points, while Kaleb Warner and Andrew Pickles each had 15, and Gabe Boucaud pitched in 10. With the win, the Islanders improved to 9-2 in KingCo and 13-4 overall.

Next up for both teams will be a trip to Liberty High School. The boys take on the Patriots at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, while the girls go at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Liberty High School.