For the third consecutive time this postseason the Eastlake Wolves girls basketball team was faced with the pressure of a loser-out playoff game.
For the third time in a row, the Wolves rose to the occasion to keep their season alive. The Wolves cruised to a convincing 83-50 victory against the Curtis Vikings in a winner-to-state, loser-out Class 4A regional playoff game on Feb. 24 at Bothell High School. The Wolves, who led by 12 points at halftime, outscored the Vikings 47-26 in the second half to seal the victory. The Wolves will compete in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament at 9 p.m. on March 1 at the Tacoma Dome. Eastlake sharpshooter Cameron Edward, who finished with 16 points and hit five 3-pointers, was thrilled to see the Wolves attain their goal of advancing to the state tournament at the Tacoma Dome.
“This has been our ultimate goal for so long but we’ve been taking it step by step. Our goal is to always look at what is right in front of us. That is what coach (Sara) Goldie teaches us. That is how we got here,” Edward said.
Eastlake freshman Keeli Burton scored a team-high 24 points in the victory. Eastlake junior point guard Gina Marxen finished with 23 points in the win as well. The KingCo 4A co-MVP said missing out on the state tournament by just one game during the 2015-16 season weighed heavily on her team’s mind before the showdown against Curtis.
“We were so close to the dome (Tacoma Dome) last year and I think that motivated us tonight. We were in the same spot and we wanted to get there. It has definitely been a journey. I think playing all these games we’ve been able to become more confident in each other and build our team chemistry. I think that is what showed tonight. We’re all complimenting each other. We’ve definitely improved,” Marxen said.
Eastlake head coach Sara Goldie said her team took care of business against Curtis with their season on the line.
“The girls love each other and love this game. They love to compete. They believed and this is what its all about,” Goldie said. “We knew coming into this year we had a young team with a lot of ability and talent. We just had to find our way and stay strong with what we believed. We have a system in place and the girls believe in it. There is a lot of trust on the floor. This is a huge win and a huge milestone for us.”
