By Chuck Mingori

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Chief Sealth girls’ basketball team rallied twice and put a scare into a tough Ballard squad Wednesday evening before succumbing, 41-34, in 3A Metro League competition.

The Seahawks went on a 10-0 scoring spree in the second quarter to close within one point after falling behind early and then trailed by nine points in the fourth quarter before once again closing to within one. Each time, however, Ballard managed to answer the call and dodge a bullet.

“It wasn’t our best effort, for sure,” commented Ballard head coach Brad Baker. “But we’re proud of the way the girls battled through a lot of adversity, a lot of turnovers, a lot of mistakes…but for them to keep their composure and be able to knock down some free throws and take care of the ball at the end. We’re proud of the way we finished even if it wasn’t our best effort.”

Chief Sealth sophomore Miqueen Gaines buried four three-point shots and finished with 16 points as she led her team’s offensive assault.  Backcourt mate Simone Lieberman, also a sophomore, netted 14 points and kept her team within range by scoring the Seahawks’ first 12 points. 

Ballard crashed the boards on offensive and created second and third chances for itself, led by 6-0 junior Olivia Holman (18 points) and 5-11 senior Jessica Coacher (12). Meanwhile, the Beavers had to contend with the strong inside presence of Chief Sealth’s 5-10 senior Camaree Mcghee, who sometimes made the Beavers pay for their drives to the basket.

“As a team we took some very important steps in the right direction,” stated Chief Sealth head coach Mario Martinez. “They are starting to play defense with their feet and (playing with) intensity. On offense, they are dribbling less, moving the ball with passes and attacking the rack.

“We still need to get a lot more physical boxing out and improve our communication on defense to cut down on the easy baskets.”

Lieberman’s swisher from outside put Chief Sealth on the board at the 2:25 mark of the first quarter. Her three-pointer a minute later completed all the scoring in the quarter for her team, which trailed 14-5 after one. Holman scored eight points in the opening stanza. Coacher tallied five in the first period and also opened the second period with a basket from the outside to put her team up by 11.

A lay in by the quick-footed and left-handed Lieberman and three points by her from the charity stripe later closed the margin before Gaines got into the scoring act with her first bomb from the outside. Suddenly it was 16-15. Not rattled, Ballard responded with an assist from Coacher to Frances Kleinsmith for two and Holman cashed in on an offensive rebound and basket right before the buzzer to make it 20-15.

A jumper by Coacher pushed the Ballard lead to 24-15 early in the third quarter. A drive for two by Mcghee and another three by Gaines trimmed the margin. A drive to the hoop for a basket while falling down by Gaines brought the deficit to 27-22 entering the last quarter.

 Camden Steinert answered with a three for Ballard early in the fourth quarter. A long three-point shot by Chief Sealth’s leading scorer, Gaines, had her team within one at 33-32.

“They were right there knocking on the door,” said Ballard coach Baker of his team’s feisty opponent.  “Give our girls credit for not totally folding.”

The outcome was still in doubt with 53.3 seconds remaining following a pair of free throws by Solvei Defant to bring the score to 37-34. Chief Sealth had some chances and worked hard on defense, but Ballard’s Holman breakway lay in and some free throws down the stretch would clinch it. Nevertheless, Martinez is hopeful that his girls can respond and work hard to get better.

“When they all commit to the grind of intensity in practice, then carry that work ethic into games, they will become true competitors, “  Martinez said. “Only then will they discover what their talents can accomplish.”

Chief Sealth (0-5, 1-7), travels to Tyee for a non-league Friday afternoon beginning at 3. Metro League play resumes for the Seahawks Jan. 3 at Lakeside. Ballard (1-3, 2-3) plays at Juanita Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. start time and meets Gig Harbor at Kentlake High School on Dec. 28.