TACOMA — Perhaps it is fitting that if Garfield is to become the first Class 3A girls basketball team to win three straight state titles that it had to go through Metro League rival Lakeside — the only team to beat the Bulldogs this season.
Playing against each other for the fourth time — this time with the most at stake — No. 1 Garfield held off No. 7 seed Lakeside 53-46 in a Thursday morning quarterfinal at the Tacoma Dome.
Garfield led almost the entire game, but could never quite put away the pesky Lions. On the few times the Bulldogs built a double-digit lead, Lakeside would come back.
The Lions got as close as four points in the third quarter and cut the deficit to five points a couple of times in the fourth quarter, but Garfield answered every mini-run with one of its own.
“You know, they want to back-to-back state championships,” Garfield coach Tre Simmons said of the Bulldogs, which won the state title in 2020 and 2022 (there was no state tournament in 2021). “They know what it’s like to be here. They’re up for the big moments. So we’re not rattled at all.”
Garfield (21-1) plays No. 4 seed Mead (20-3) of Spokane, which defeated Stanwood 62-54 in a quarterfinal, on Friday at 3:45 p.m.
Lakeside (17-5) plays Stanwood (20-6) in a consolation-bracket game Friday at 9 a.m.
Simmons, a Garfield alum, took over as the Bulldogs girls coach this season for Marvin Hall, and he also works as an assistant for the Garfield boys team.
Simmons missed Garfield’s 58-36 loss to Lakeside on Jan. 18 because of a previous engagement. The Bulldogs beat the Lions in the other previous matchups, 48-39 and 53-47.
“Maybe we are a little bit more talented, and maybe we come out more aggressive, but (Lakeside) has some great coaches doing a great job,” said Simmons, who played for the University of Washington.
Jayda Lewis had 15 points for Garfield, Sarah Lessig added 12 points and seven rebounds and Katie Fiso had 12 points and a game-high four assists.
Mia Broom had 17 points for Lakeside and Claire O’Connor added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.
O’Dea boys earn matchup with top seed Mt. Spokane
O’Dea lost almost all of its 12-point halftime lead, but Mountlake Terrace could never quite catch the Fighting Irish.
No. 6 seed Mountlake Terrace (19-7) closed to two points on a few occasions in the second half, but No. 5 seed O’Dea (20-8) hung on for a 54-52 win to earn a semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Mount Spokane.
Mason Williams led O’Dea with 14 points. He was 3 of 17 from the floor, but an excellent 8 of 9 from the foul line.
Zaevon Jones had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead Mountlake Terrace (19-7).
Mt. Spokane (24-1) had a much easier time in its quarterfinal win, beating Bellevue 73-43.
The Wildcats led 26-12 at halftime, and were not threatened in the second half by No. 10 seed Bellevue (23-5).
Junior guard Ryan Lafferty scored 21 to lead Mt. Spokane. No one scored in double figures for Bellevue.
Notes
- The Mead girls got a huge game from junior guard Teryn Gardner in its 62-54 win over No. 6 seed Stanwood. She had 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and shot 9 of 19 from the field and 9 of 10 from the foul line.
- The No. 2 seed Arlington (22-2) girls rolled to a 61-43 win over No. 8 seed Meadowdale (19-8), with three players scoring all but two of the Eagles’ points. Samantha Morrow, a junior point guard, scored 28, senior guard Jenna Villa scored 20 and sophomore forward Kierra Reese had 11.