With 2:15 to play in the game, Evergreen Lutheran's Eagles girls basketball team led North Beach's Hyaks by three points, 44-41, following Eagles senior captain Markelle Lance throwing up a three-pointer for that late fourth quarter lead in opening round action of the North Beach Tournament at the Hyaks' high school in Ocean Shores December 29-30.

But the Hyaks ended up winning, 48-44, in the end.

"We felt we should have won, but we couldn't match their size," said Eagles head coach Jeff Kurbis.

Height and weight favoring the Hyaks mattered most as two of their key players were big and tall and they had just enough outside shooting presence from Gabbie Mackinson with 10 points, nine of those from three three-pointers.

The score was close in the beginning as the Hyaks led, 11-10, after the first quarter, and 24-19 at halftime. I's a wonder the Eagles were that close even with the Hyaks shooting 8-for-13 from the floor while the Eagles shot 5-for-17. The Hyaks made one three-pointer in the first two quarters until halftime while the Eagles in the same time shot 0-4 from long range. Free throws favored the Eagles, 9-for-11 for them and 5-for-6 for the Hyaks.

The Eagles forced the Hyaks into 13 first half turnovers while the Eagles only committed six, so that, too, is a stat to keep in mind.

"I don't know how many turnovers they had, but they had a ton," said Kurbis. "This is the fastest group I've ever had."

Because of the Eagles being shorter and faster than their foe, it's no wonder they could speed around the court causing chaos to the Hyaks' hopes of long ball possession.

The Eagles were definitely speedier, with none of their girls over 5-8.

One of the Washington coast school's tall trees, 6-0 Elizabeth Thatcher, was neutralized by the Eagles, scoring their team's first two baskets of the game but then rendered ineffective from the speedy hands leading to steals by the Eagles of her with the ball.

But their second tallest timber, 5-11 Nicole Mosley, became a super sub for her Hyaks team. She was an inch shorter than Thatcher but with more muscle. So she was tough to handle -- too tough.

Coming off the bench a minute into the second quarter for the first time in the game, she immediately scored back-to-back baskets inside the paint.

That was huge momentum for her team right out of the gate of the second quarter, giving the Hyaks a 15-10 lead. This Hyaks team had a lot of weapons and experience too.

"They went to state last year," said Kurbis. "And they got everybody back. They finished sixth, seventh in the state last year. I knew it would be a battle."

Then, for the Hyaks, it was Makinson's firepower outside throwing up a three-pointer and it meant the Hyak's largest lead of the game at 18-10.

The Eagles' Erika Hansen made a couple free throws to cut the lead to six, 18-12, before Mosley inside meant pain and trouble for the Eagles. Mosley was fouled on a shot attempt and went to the free throw line and made 2-for-2 free throwsto make it 22-13 with 2:00 left in the second quarter.

With Thatcher out of the game, Mosley was really the only one to really hurt the Eagles. And, unfortunately she really hurt the Eagles in the second quarter.

Still, the Eagles locked onto Mosley more following her two scores early and free throws, keeping her, like Thatcher, at bay the rest of the second quarter -- no points for Mosley.

The Eagles, meanwhile, outscored the Hyaks, 6-2, for a nice run to end the second quarter, trailing in the game then, 24-19. And it would have been 22-19 but the Hyaks scored a basket in the last 10 seconds.

So, to the third quarter, and the Eagles got off a great halfcourt pass into the paint by Caty Poetter for Hansen to lay it in, and, a Kailey Fueggman bucket made the score 24-23 with 6:39 left in the third quarter.

The Hyaks stretched their lead to 28-23 on Thather's reemergence to the game, scoring twice in a row, with the latter of her getting two own misses on rebounds and scoring the third try.

With the Eagle having their biggest, tallest player at home in Spokane with family over the holidays, it was really tough on their chances against a state-experienced, taller, heavier team like the Hyaks.

"We didn't have our six footer," said Kurbis, adding, "But no excuses."

Melanie Laete was back in action, however.

"The Laetes have built this program," said Kurbis, mentioning Kristin, Emily, Gretchen, and, now the last member, senior Melanie, on the Eagles now as they gun for a return trip to state.

"Three years ago we took third in the state, and if I can get the girls to shoot like they did the second half we will be there again," said Kurbis, who has coached this girls program to excellence, eight times at state in the last eight years.