KingCo Claims SeaKing District With Bellevue Victory


KingCo Claims SeaKing District With Bellevue Victory
By Steve Dion

Friday- February 19th 2016 Girls 3A SeaKing Final
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bishop Blanchet 11 18 8 16 53
Bellevue 23 9 22 13 67


SeaKing District Champions – Bellevue Wolverines

The SeaKing district final could potentially be a matchup we see once again before season’s end as undefeated Bellevue faced off against Metro League champs Bishop Blanchet. The Wolverines showed their team speed within the opening moments of the game as Quinessa Caylao-Do started her scoring spree following the opening tip with an outlet score. This sparked a 12-5 run which prompted a Blanchet timeout to talk things over.

The pace remained up-tempo, but Blanchet was able to claw back through contributions of Jadyn Bush and Taylor Chambers who scored 15 and 12 respectively. Bellevue’s leading scorer Shelby Cansler rolled her ankle midway through the second quarter amidst a strong start. The Braves chipped away at the deficit and trailed by three at the break 32-29.

It didn’t take long for the Wolverines to grab hold of the game in the second half when Anna Wilson and Caylao-Do buried a handful of buckets from downtown to drive the lead back up to double digits. The lead continued to grow and Blanchet’s chances of a comeback became less feasible. The final quarter was essentially procedural with Bellevue’s victory at hand to capture the district title and a continued perfect record. After the game, Bellevue’s Shelby Cansler talked about the importance of the win by saying, “It’s a huge statement for us because we didn’t know how we compared to Metro teams playing only KingCo.” When asked about what the Wolverines will be focusing on in the state tourney, Cansler replied, “Rebounding is something we can improve on. But, otherwise, just keep playing the way we play.”

The Final Score
Bellevue 67, Bishop Blanchet 53.

Top Performers:

Bellevue
Shelby Cansler- 20 points

Bishop Blanchet
Jadyn Bush- 15 points

Bishop Blanchet Captures Metro League Championship


Bishop Blanchet Captures Metro League Championship
By Steve Dion

Friday- February 12th 2016 Girls 3A Metro League Championship
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
West Seattle 19 15 10 20 64
Bishop Blanchet 19 13 26 9 67


Metro League Champions – Bishop Blanchet Braves

Less than three weeks ago, West Seattle hosted Bishop Blanchet for a regular season meeting. This served as a preview for Friday night’s rematch with the Metro League Championship title on the line. The capacity crowd at Ingraham High School enjoyed an exciting matchup which was decided by three points!

The first half featured a back and forth exchange in which the battle down low between Blanchet’s Jadyn Bush and West Seattle’s Lydia Giomi took center stage. They scored 11 and 8 in the first half respectively as the pair finished with 16 apiece. Braves senior Lilly DiPietro knocked down 3 of her 5 three pointers in the first half as part of her 19 total. After the game, she talked about her role as a senior stating, “This year, I’m definitely trying to lead, be a leader on the team. Everyone contributes, it’s not one person, and I love that about our team.” At the break, the Wildcats led by a deuce 34-32.

The third quarter featured a Blanchet surge that would propel them the remainder of the game outscoring West Seattle 26-10. Taylor Chambers netted 8 of her team high 21 in the game. After the game, when asked about the difference between the last time the Braves faced WS she said, “Now we know we just have to come out strong and not be lackadaisical with the ball, no turnovers.” Wildcat Coach Darnell Taylor rallied his troops in the final frame and sparked a rally that cut the deficit. However, the damage was done and Bishop Blanchet was able to hold on to claim the Metro League title. The season series sits at 1-1. Will these teams meet again before season’s end?

The Final Score
Bishop Blanchet 67, West Seattle 64.

Top Performers:

Bishop Blanchet
Taylor Chambers- 21 points
Lilly DiPietro-19 points
Jadyn Bush- 16 points

West Seattle
Lydia Giomi- 16 points
Lexi Ioane- 13 points

West Seattle Claims Sole Possession of Metro Lead, Tops Braves


West Seattle Claims Sole Possession of Metro Lead, Tops Braves
By Steve Dion

Wednesday- January 27th 2016 Girls 3A Metro
West Seattle High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bishop Blanchet 6 8 6 10 30
West Seattle 13 11 9 11 44


West Seattle Wildcats

Wednesday night at West Seattle High School was the first sign that playoff hoops is quickly approaching. The host Wildcats and Bishop Blanchet Braves both carried 16-0 records into tonight’s game and this would determine the Metro League regular season champions in all likelihood.

The Wildcats rebounding advantage was evident early as Lexi Ioane pulled down several offensive boards and Lydia Giomi was a force on the defensive end of the glass. After the game, West Seattle head coach Darnell Taylor stated, “I noticed early on they were doubling Giomi…I sat Lexi down and told her it was your time to go at it and take over.” The two recorded 12 and 14 in the contest respectively. Taylor Chambers scored a quick five points for the Braves, but they were unable to get contributions elsewhere and fell behind. The Wildcats were able to avoid an extended defensive lapse throughout the first half and carried a double digit lead to the locker room.

The uphill battle continued early in the second half for Blanchet as the team’s leading scorer this season Jadyn Bush faced foul trouble that forced Coach Burns to sideline the junior wing. A dagger three pointer by Jenna McPhee solidified the Wildcats’ edge in tonight’s game. Blanchet briefly cut the lead to single digits in the waning minutes, but WSHS converted on scoring opportunities before the clock hit triple zeros. When asked about how his team responded to the extra pressure added to this game in terms of league standings, Coach Taylor replied,”I’m really excited the way they handled themselves through the week building up to this big game, they were really focused.” These teams will likely meet again in the near future with increasingly high stakes.

The Final Score
West Seattle 44, Bishop Blanchet 30.

Top Performers:
West Seattle
Lydia Giomi- 14 points
Lexi Ioane- 12 points

Bishop Blanchet
Taylor Chambers- 11 points

Blanchet Soars Over Eagles in Bruns’ 100th Victory


Lynnwood Demonstrates Dominance in King Showcase
By Steve Dion

Friday- January 22nd 2016 Girls 3A Metro
Bishop Blanchet High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Cleveland 6 5 15 7 33
Bishop Blanchet 20 17 19 14 70


Bishop Blanchet senior Molly Dixon

Jadyn Bush and Taylor Chambers led the Braves with 19 and 10 points respectively as Blanchet extends their undefeated 2015-16 campaign with 16 straight wins to start the season. The home team set the tone early with an 11-0 run which featured tough defensive efforts by Jilese Bush and Bella Kemp in the paint. This led to a series of transition buckets that helped build a halftime lead Cleveland could not surmount. Monique Bungay finished in double figures for the Eagles scoring a dozen in the contest.

Coach Greg Bruns was able to utilize the depth on his talented roster and as a result eleven Braves were represented in the scoring column. In his postgame comments, Coach Bruns stated, “We want them all to play hard, we want all to do the same things if you’re a starter or not.” When asked about the strong start and what lies ahead for his team he replied, “We’ve got some tough games coming the next couple weeks, so we want to really focus and get better.” As a result of tonigh’s win, Coach Bruns earned his 100th victory as a Washington high school basketball coach. His response to what this means? “It’s an accomplishment, but it’s about these kids. To start the year 16-0, it’s never happened in my career. Obviously, it’s a testament to what they are and they’ve acclimated to me as a coach.” Bishop Blanchet certainly appears to be on track as a contender in early March with tonight’s convincing victory serving as further evidence of this team’s strength.

The Final Score
Bishop Blanchet 70, Cleveland 33.

Top Performers:
Bishop Blanchet
Jadyn Bush- 19 points

Cleveland
Monique Bungay- 12 points

Back to Back State Titles for Cleveland

 

 

14-WA-GBBall-Cleveland-Champs-ArticleLrg

Saturday March 8th 2014 3A Girls Basketball
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Cleveland 18 15 6 15 54
Bishop Blanchet 12 13 10 10 45

Back to Back State Titles for Cleveland
By Colin Caruso

Both the girls 3A and boys 3A state championship games featured teams from the Metro leagues in Seattle. This girls state championship game saw the Cleveland Eagles, undefeated in the state of Washington and 23-2 overall against the 20-4 Bishop Blanchet Braves. They faced off earlier this season just one time, resulting in a 65-50 Cleveland victory.

Cleveland won the state title last season over the Seattle Prep Panthers and the Eagles returned four of their five starters from that team. They were clearly the title favorites going into the year, and their perfect in state record kept them favorites in this matchup.

Led by 11 points from star guard Makayla Roper in the first quarter, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead. With balanced scoring the Braves closed the Eagle lead to six going into the second. With Roper not scoring a point in the second frame, the Eagles were still able to extend their lead. Myzhanique Ladd picked up what Roper left behind, adding seven points in the second to take a 33-25 lead into halftime.

The scoring dramatically slowed on both sides in the third quarter. Just six points from the Eagles allowed the Braves to get back into this ballgame. Great defense on both sides sparked the lack of offensive production. Blanchet cut the lead to four entering the fourth.

Blanchet continued to battle with the mighty Eagles in the final quarter. The lead was five for Cleveland with three minutes to play. Ladd was fouled on a coast to coast layup attempt and hit one of two to put the Eagles up six. After a Blanchet miss, Jayde Christopher converted on a layup to extend the lead to eight with under two minutes to play. After a Braves turnover Ladd added a floater to go up ten, effectively ending the game. This makes back to back titles for the Eagles, and three in the last five years for Coach Stephenie Wheeler-Smith.

Top Performers:
Cleveland
Myzhanique Ladd – 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals
Makayla Roper – 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

Bishop Blanchet
Jadyn Bush – 10 points, 12 rebounds