Eastlake Wolves senior girls basketball players Gina Marxen and Cameron Edward were the final players to emerge from the locker room following the final contest of the 2017-18 season. The eyes of both players were red and watery.

Moses Lake defeated Eastlake 71-55 in the Class 4A third/fifth place game on the final day of the Class 4A girls basketball state tournament on March 3 at the Tacoma Dome. Marxen, who held the Class 4A state tournament fifth place plaque in her arms, will never forget what her team accomplished on the hardwood, not only this season, but for the past four years.

“We’ve formed so many tight relationships. Having that bond with somebody you’ve spent the past four years of your life with for five to six days a week is really special,” Marxen said. “I will probably miss that the most. Basketball over the course of my life has introduced me to all my best friends.”

Edward concurred wholeheartedly with Marxen’s assessment.

“It is pretty surreal,” Edward said. “What we talked about in the locker room is relationships. We’re such a tight team. It’s not the loss, it is everything that we have done this season to this point. It is just so emotional.”

Eastlake head coach Sara Goldie was proud of her squad.

“Anybody that has ever watched this team play can see they play for each other,” she said. “They play such a beautiful brand of basketball. They love each other and they trust each other.”

Eastlake sophomore Keeli Burton scored a team-high 16 points in the loss to Moses Lake in the season finale.

“It is the furthest anybody at Eastlake has ever gotten. I’m really proud of our team,” Burton said of the Wolves fifth-place finish. “I have been playing on this team for the past two years. I have known Cameron (Edward) since I was in the sixth grade. I’m going to miss them (seniors) a lot but I’m really glad I got to have this experience with them.”