Eagle girls eliminated

Turnovers and missed shots on close looks at the basket cost the

Federal Way girls basketball team dearly in a Saturday, February 16,

winner-to-state matchup at Puyallup High School.

Erasing a 39-33 deficit with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter,

Bellarmine Prep rode a 12-0 scoring strike in the span of seven minutes

en route to a 56-49 WCD win against the Lady Eagles.

"We gave them turnovers," lamented Federal Way head coach Danny Graham.

"When we give them turnovers we get no shots and they (the Lions) get

shot opportunities. Our girls missed some easy shots, also."

The Lions continually penetrated the interior of the Federal Way

defense to lead 11-5 after one quarter. Inside hoops and perimeter

points pushed Bellarmine Prep to a 24-11 command midway through the

second quarter.

Back-to-back three-point bombs from Brittany Barrington and Chantel

Dixon triggered an 11-2 Eagle surge, drawing Federal Way within 26-22

before the Lions reclaimed the momentum to lead 29-22 at the half.

With Barrington and 6-foot, 1-inch Talia Walton powering to the basket

and crashing the boards, the Eagles also tightened up the defensive

pressure with steals to slam home 10 consecutive points to open the

second half. Besides being a force on the boards, Walton was an

intimidating shot blocker.

Dixon's three-point howitzer with 3:12 remaining in the quarter

stretched the Federal Way advantage to 37-31, and the Eagles still held

a 39-33 control before their fortunes went dark.

"We did a good job of making the Lions put the ball on the floor and

caused them to be erratic at times, but we gave it right back,"

concluded Graham.

Barrington tallied a game-high 19 points while Walton posted 12 points

with 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Jacqui Evenson snared 10

rebounds, dished out five assists and grabbed five steals.

Federal Way 61, Kentlake 49

Federal Way took a big loss while posting a big win over Kentlake at

Mount Tahoma

High School in Tacoma last Wednesday.

The Eagles lost 6-1 freshman standout Talia Walton to a knee injury in

the first quarter, and she was taken to the hospital while writhing in

pain.

"Also big was Talia Walton hurt her knee," said Federal Way head coach

Danny Graham. "She's a first team all-SPSL player."

The Eagles only led, 8-6, at the time, but managed to power their way

to the convincing victory anyway.

"I was proud of our girls to fight like that," Graham said. "I'm just

happy to get a win."

Federal Way fell behind, 11-8, after the injury on a three-point shot

by Kentlake's Morganne Comstock and a two-point shot by Sarah Crow.

But the Eagles went on a 12-point run to lead 22-11 at 7:28 to play in

the third quarter.

Then the Falcons put together a 10-point run before Federal Way

flew out to a 32-20 lead at 1:45 to go in the third quarter that it

never relinquished. A three-point basket by Brittany Barrington sparked

that rally.

The Eagles had other troubles along the way during the game.

"When they (Kentlake) had their pressure, we didn't do well against

it," Graham said. "We need to practice that and shooting free throws."

Barrington led Federal Way in the baskets they made with 20 points.

Briana Bennett hit 11 points, Jacqie Evenson 10 and TyShana Burgess

nine.

Kentlake lost Brona Nienow when she suffered a knee injury in almost

the same

spot on the floor as where Walton went down during the third quarter.

G-K 58, Federal Way 44

The Eagles were without Walton when they took on Graham-Kapowsin with a

state berth on the line the next night, as she was having an MRI done

at the time.

"She had an MRI today, and obviously she hurt her knee," said Graham.

"But we don't know if it's ligament damage or bone or whatever."

Graham, whose team finished with a 19-6 overall record, gave credit to

Graham-Kapowsin instead of blaming the opening left by Walton.

"We make no excuses," he said. "They had a good game plan against us,

with good defense. Those kind of things happen."

Federal Way jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Jacqie Evenson putback, but

Graham-Kapowsin went on a 10-0 surge and never trailed again.

"We really wanted it, and it just didn't happen for us," said Graham of

the state berth that eluded his Eagles. "Now we got to wait a long

year. But I think the girls played hard and gave it their best."

Tim Clinton contributed the Kentlake and Graham-Kapowsin portions of

this report.