Warriors Unleash Furious Fourth Quarter to Top Eastlake

The Edmonds-Woodway girls basketball team used a 29-point fourth quarter outburst to earn a 58-44 victory over the Eastlake Lady Wolves on Tuesday night and advance into the opening round of the 4A state playoffs.

After trailing 38-29 at the end of three periods, coach Duane Hodges' Warriors opened the final eight minutes on a 10-2 run to take the lead on two Sydney Donaldson free throws with 5:22 remaining, and would not trail again en route to the victory.

As E-W exploded, the Lady Wolves fizzled, struggling to crack an inspired and rejuvenated Warriors defense, managing only six points in the fourth quarter.

Hodges said after the game he believed his team became tentative in the middle periods and began "to play not to lose instead of playing to win."

"We played a little faster [in the fourth quarter]," said Hodges of the key to turning the tide down the stretch.

Angela Woods knocked down three shots from distance and finished with a game-high 18 points.

There is no doubt that refocusing their play on the defensive end was also critical for E-W.

"Lately, it's [defense] been our focus in practice and it's become my focus in games," said Ashley Albertson, one of five E-W seniors who kept their prep careers alive with the win.

Both Albertson and Donaldson also impacted the game by keeping the Lady Wolves' primary interior threats, Kendra Morrison and Katy Ainslie, off the offensive glass, which Eastlake coach Sara Goldie pointed out postgame as a key component in the game.

"They're a physical team, they're solid inside and have great rebounders," said Goldie.

With Donaldson on the bench for stretches of the game with foul trouble, Albertson worked even harder to assert herself on the glass.

"My thought process is always just to get boards and when she [Donaldson] goes out. I just really have to take over with that," said Albertson.

E-W jumped out to what seemed to be a commanding 13-3 lead on a Woods' three-pointer six minutes into the game and ended the first quarter ahead 14-6.

But Eastlake would respond brilliantly in the middle periods, outscoring the visiting Warriors 32-15 in the second and third quarters and building their largest lead of the game at 35-24 on a Caleigh McCabe free throw with 3:10 left in the third.

E-W answered with a fourth quarter that saw them score as many points as they did in the first three frames combined.

Madeline Kasper got things started with two free throws and Woods followed with another quick bucket, prompting a timeout from Goldie.

The Lady Wolves, however, would have a difficult time withstanding another set of body blows from the Warriors and faded on the offensive end.

"That's a fantastic team that we played," said Goldie.

After Alex Kenney found the bottom of the net from outside to pull the Warriors within three at 39-36, Donaldson scored four straight to give her team the lead for good.

The senior post finished with 10 points for the game, as did the junior Kasper.

"It feels really good; we've worked really hard," said Woods of making the trip back to the state playoffs, where E-W finished fifth last year.

Morrison, a junior, led the Lady Wolves with 12 points.

The win sends E-W to the opening round of 16, where they will face the defending 4A champions from Auburn-Riverside.

The Ravens defeated the Warriors earlier this season by a count of 61-54 in an overtime game during a Nike-sponsored tournament held in Beaverton, OR.

That game will take place at Jackson High School in Mill Creek at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25.