With a couple of their top ball handlers unavailable for the game, the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors knew they would be in for a challenge in their Monday matinee matchup against the Cedarcrest Red Wolves. But with a little grit — and a lot of Finley Wicher in the fourth quarter — Edmonds-Woodway found a way to escape from Duvall with a win.
With a determined second half effort, the Warriors downed the Red Wolves 45-31 in a non-league contest played Monday afternoon at Cedarcrest High School.
E-W led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Cedarcrest seized the momentum shortly after halftime and pulled to within three, 25-22, near the midpoint of the third quarter.
That’s when the Warriors needed a big bucket to swing the momentum back to their side. They got it when senior Abi Porter sank a 3-pointer — her only points of the second half — with 4:19 to go in the third.
E-W went on to outscore the Red Wolves 16-5 over an eight-minute stretch to grab a big lead. Wicher helped to ensure that Cedarcrest (3-1 in the KingCo League Lake Conference, 4-5 overall) wouldn’t be able to mount a late comeback. The junior scored 10 of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors went on to secure the win.
Porter, the only senior to play for E-W on Monday, liked the way her teammates responded to the third-quarter push made by the Red Wolves. “I thought we played great,” Porter said. “We moved the ball well, we had good rebounds. I thought we brought great energy in the second half to build (that) lead.”
Warriors’ Coach Quinn Manning also liked how her undermanned squad played against a pressing Red Wolves team on Monday.
“We knew Cedarcrest would play hard and they’re well-coached,” Manning said. “They put some pressure on our ball handlers and we asked kids to play a little out of position today. So I anticipated that things were going to be a little less well-refined. But we battled and we played hard.”
The Warriors played the road contest without key players Darcy Brennan and Jasmine Gill.
While praising the play of her squad, Manning was especially impressed with the effort of Porter, who is challenged with playing her senior year at E-W with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in her left leg.
“She’s playing a little injured and she was really ill over Christmas,” Manning noted. “I asked a lot of her today but she’s clutch — she’s a competitor. She’s always doing the right things and is here for the team. It’s nice to have her out there.”
Sophomore Madeline Skaar contributed 10 points for E-W on Monday; Cedarcrest was led by the 11 points of Stella Metcalf.
The victory lifted the Warriors’ overall record to 8-1 this season, topping the seven wins that the team had all of last year. Manning said the stellar record so far this season has been helped by her squad’s ability to win close games, something they weren’t always able to do previously.
“I keep saying about this team — this is my second year coaching — last year we lost games like that (Monday’s win at Cedarcrest),” Manning stated. “We lost a handful of close games so I’m really proud of their resilience. We’ve grown as a program and we’re learning how to win. We had another game like that against Lynnwood and then also against Bellingham where we’re finding ways to win which last year we didn’t. So there’s big growth there.”
“We’re jelling,” Manning continued. “And they understand that just having that continuation of the principles that we were building last year, it’s really fun to see.”
While Manning isn’t ready to pronounce her squad as a contender for a 3A Wesco League championship this season, she is high on her team’s chances to be competitive in a league that has produced 10 top-six finishers at 2A and 3A state championship tournaments over the past three years.
“We do have potential,” Manning said. “Our league is really tough. We’re going to win more games this year in (the Wesco) league. LIke I said, we’re learning how to win tight games, to respond to adversity. I need my kids to get a little more gritty … we’re working through some composure things. But I have faith; I think we’re going to play most of the teams in our league pretty tough and give them a run for their money.”
Prep Girls Basketball: Edmonds-Woodway at Cedarcrest, Dec. 30
Edmonds-Woodway 15 7 10 13 – 45
Cedarcrest 6 10 8 7 – 31
Edmonds-Woodway individual scoring: Finley Wichers 15, Madeline Skaar 10, Abi Porter 7, Janie Hanson 6, Audrey Rothmier 5, Abby Johnson 2, Amelia Miller, Annika Beckstrom
Cedarcrest individual scoring: Stella Metcalf 11, Avery Dice 6, Maddy Davis 4, Belle Gellner 3, Kaylee Rogers 3, Emma Plecher 2, Kaylee Decker 2, Willow Ash
Records: Edmonds-Woodway 1-1 in 3A Wesco League South Conference, 8-1 overall; Cedarcrest 3-1 in KingCo Lake Conference, 4-5 overall
Edmonds-Woodway next game: versus Mountlake Terrace; Friday, Jan. 3; 6:30 p.m. at Edmonds-Woodway High School
Cedarcrest next game: versus Holy Names Academy; Friday, Jan. 3; 6:30 p.m. at Holy Name Academy in Seattle
— Story and photos by Doug Petrowski
Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.
By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.