Having both won just three games last season, the Mount Baker and Bellingham girls basketball teams are working to shed a “loser” image this season.
And both took a big step in the right direction when they met in Deming with Mount Baker holding on for an exciting 51-37 victory on Friday night, Dec. 13.
“It was a good victory that could have gone either way,” said Mount Baker coach Tiffany Ramirez, whose team is already 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Northwest Conference. “Bellingham is a good team. They fight. They weren’t going to roll over.”
At halftime, however, it looked like the Mounties were going to make it a rout as their defense held Bellingham to just nine first-half points and their offense, behind sophomore Rebeca Soares’s 10 points, put up 23 points.
“Our defense was really good today, the best of the whole season,” said Soares, who finished with a game-high 25 points. “When you play good defense the offense comes.”
But as Ramirez said, the Bayhawks weren’t giving up. Down by 16 going into the fourth period, they cranked up their defensive pressure and made some adjustments on offense, running off the first seven points of the quarter to close within nine.
After Mounties junior Reace Brown scored inside to stop the run, Bellingham’s Lily Jude scored to cut the margin to 42-33 with just over four minutes left. The Bayhawks then had several chances to cut the lead even further before another Brown bucket and three more points by Soares ended the comeback.
“I was proud of the energy and effort they gave,” said first-year Bellingham coach Ken McLendon, whose team already tied last year’s win total and is 3-1 overall and 1-1 in league.
And while it wasn’t a great homecoming for the former Mount Baker coach, he was optimistic about the Bayhawks’ improvement. “When I got them in June, little by little, with constant reminders, I told them if they’re patient with me, I’ll be patient with them,” he said.
Sparking the Bayhawks was junior reserve Abigail Morell, who had seven of her team-high 11 points in the fourth-quarter comeback.
“We really decided to prove people wrong,” she said of the team’s focus this season. “We’ve had the mentality of ‘losers,’ and we want to change that. We didn’t win tonight, but (at halftime) we focused on our mistakes and got better. That mentality will get us more wins.”
Malia Hanks, one of only three seniors on the Bellingham squad, had 8 points, half of those during the fourth-quarter rally, and Jude had 7 points.
For the Mounties, overcoming their image also has been a challenge, especially when two all-Whatcom Hoops players transferred before the school year started. But having the 6-foot-2 Soares, a member of the Brazilian junior national team, transfer in was a big help — literally.
She dominated the shorter Bayhawks with her post moves inside, drives to the basket, and rebounding, finishing with 18 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks to go along with her 25 points.
“Her mentality is just different,” said Ramirez of the sophomore’s ability to take over a game. “Rebeca isn’t here to save us. But I told her, whenever we have the (size) advantage, then post up. And she did.”
Said McLendon: “She’s a difference-maker. She’s unique.”
But just as important as her scoring a lot of points, Soares also gave her teammates opportunities, particularly Brown, who finished with 9 points, six of them helping hold off the Bayhawks in the fourth quarter, and 9 rebounds.
“Reace is getting after it,” said Ramirez. “Tonight, I just told her to keep fighting. I told her that Rebeca is a great addition, but they’ve got to double-team her, so you can get open. She’s got some grit.”
Faith Wilson, one of only three Mount Baker seniors, had an outstanding all-around game with 7 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
Bellingham is in action again on Monday, when the Bayhawks return home to face Oak Harbor. The Mounties’ next game is Tuesday, when they travel to Sehome.
Mount Baker 51, Bellingham 37
Bellingham 3 6 11 17—37
Mount Baker 12 11 15 13—51
Bellingham: Jude 7, Manning, Hanks 8, Lockhart 3, Green 4, Morell 11, Jensen 4.
Mount Baker: Reeves 3, Brown 9, Soares 25, Wilson 8, Powell, Abitia 4, Harkness 2.
