TACOMA, Wash. — Bellevue’s Syesha Simanton says she isn’t much of a smiler. She likes her basketball a cup o’ serious.
But in this moment, she can’t help herself - the top-seeded Wolverines are in the WIAA Class 3A girls championship game Saturday against Eastside Catholic.
“This is my dream comes true, ever since I was a little girl,” Simanton said.
Simanton’s tiebreaking basket with 1:14 remaining lifted Bellevue past 3A Metro League champion Roosevelt, 51-47, in one semifinal game. The Crusaders won a nightcap grinder over Snohomish, 47-43.
These two schools played for the Sea-King District championship two weeks ago - won 60-57 by the Wolverines at Bellevue College.
“They are playing some really good basketball,” Bellevue girls coach Romell Witherspoon said of the Crusaders.
So is Simanton, who again led the team with 21 points. But it’s been more than just her scoring - amid a young group, her senior leadership has been crucial - and her on-court vision has been on point all season.
“She sees a frame ahead,” Witherspoon said. “Almost like a Tom Brady.”
When you look at Eastside Catholic - equally young in its core group - everything centers around … the center in 6-foot-4 sophomore Amy Nduka, who showed her complete skill set in the final minute to hold off Snohomish.
Nduka split two defenders for a driving bucket. She had a feed to Sa'FIne Sampson for an easy inside layin with 59.9 seconds to go. And she made the game-clinching free throws 45 seconds later, finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Now, Bellevue awaits.
“We know what we have to do,” Nduka said. “We just have to stay disciplined.”
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