Medical Lake girls lose in NEA playoff game

The game at West Valley High School sometimes looked more like a wrestling match than a basketball game on Feb. 13 when the Medical Lake girls took on an aggressive Freeman team in the NEA championship game.

Perhaps it was a grudge thing. After all, the Cards had beaten the Scotties in both of their regular season matches. In the end it was the Scotties physicality that was the Card girls’ demise. Freeman wasn’t afraid to haul down rebounds, wrestle for the ball, or in the end, steal both balls and the championship hopes of the Card girls in the 56-45 loss.

It was Freeman’s rebounding efforts that defeated Medical Lake. The Scotties 26 defensive rebounds kept the Card’s away from the net and the points they needed to win, while Freeman’s 15 offensive rebounds allowed them second chances to score.

Medical Lake had landed 13 of 29 field goals by the end of the game, and made five of 21 3-pointers. Defensively, they stole 13 game balls, had 11 deflections, and 18 fouls in the game compared to the Scotties 15.

And while the Card’s may have lost the game and the NEA championship title, it wasn’t because Jessica Lohman’s didn’t give it her all. Lohman had a career game, shooting nearly half — 21 points — of the Cards total points in the game, including a tremendous backward layup for two points in the first period. Lohman also contributed with two steals and four rebounds. Emma Maxwell and Lexie Redell score eight and seven points respectively.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected]