Mercer Island Hangs on Despite Late West Seattle Surge

Mercer Island Hangs on Despite Late West Seattle Surge
By Steven Dion

In the second round of the District 2 3A SeaKing Girls Basketball tournament, Mercer Island was set to face West Seattle. The Islanders received a first-round bye while West Seattle snuck past Eastside Catholic in a loser-out opener by the score of 34-33. The Wildcats have been a tough matchup throughout the season and will continue to do so in upcoming season as the starting lineup consists of three sophomores and two juniors. There is not a single senior on the roster. Mercer Island plays tough perimeter defense and boasts plenty of scoring options. Winner of this game was set to face the winner of Cleveland/Liberty.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair as neither team was able to build much separation to the opposition. Islander junior guard Jamie Mounger put together a strong first half by knocking down five field goals for ten points, some of which heavily contested. West Seattle countered with their 6’5 sophomore Lydia Giomi. The post was a tough matchup for MIHS on both sides of the floor as Giomi rebounded well and was able to create space and open looks under the hoop. Mercer Island showed tremendous anticipation of WSHS screens which resulted in a number of turnovers going the other way. A scoring spree midway through the second frame gave the Wildcats some breathing room and a seven point lead at the break.

The struggle for both teams to knock down perimeter shots continued in the second half. As a result, this game took place almost exclusively in the paint. The matchup down low between Giomi and Islander forward/center Anna Luce was very physical as they jockeyed for possession aggressively under the bucket. The Islanders were able to carry a double digit lead until midway through the fourth. West Seattle went on a run that brought the Wildcats within two points and a trip to the foul stripe. The shooter missed, but WS recovered and had a flurry of game-tying shots fired at the hoop in the final seconds. The could not connect and eventually fouled an Islander. After making one of two, the Cats fired one last desperation three-ball, but fell short. The Islanders were victorious by a slim margin at 52-49.

Top Performers:
Mercer Island
Jess Blakeslee-18 points (6/7 FT’s)
Jamie Mounger-14 points (5 first-half field goals)

West Seattle
Lydia Giomi-20 points (4/4 FT’s)