By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The defending state champion Garfield Lady Bulldogs faced one of their toughest opponents, the Lakeside Lions, in a semifinal matchup last night, vying for a spot in the 3A State Championship game this Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
Garfield senior Katie Fiso took the court with high energy and determination in their quest to secure another gold ball (state championship trophy) for Garfield. Following the tip-off, Fiso quickly scored a layup, energizing the crowd early on. She then lit up the court on the next possession with a three-point shot, igniting the Bulldog fans. However, Lakeside’s Lucy Ackerman responded with a three-pointer of her own, tying the game at 5-5 in the opening minutes.
The first quarter featured a lot of back-and-forth possessions. Garfield maintained a lead for most of the quarter, as Fiso continued to make plays and Jayda Lewis controlled the boards on both ends of the floor. However, after Fiso picked up two fouls, the Lions began to dominate. Following Fiso’s second foul, Ackerman intercepted a pass from Garfield’s Maya Davis intended for Lewis and scored a layup. Lakeside’s Mia Broom then stole the ball from Garfield’s Devyn Hall, scoring a layup that gave the Lions a 12-11 lead. Broom finished the quarter with a jump shot, helping her team to a 16-15 lead.
With the score relatively low, the game was still up for grabs. Garfield junior Sarah Lessig made her presence known in the second quarter, scoring 10 points and giving the Bulldogs a 28-22 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw a flurry of long-range shots. Lakeside opened with a three-pointer from junior Josie Albrecht, sparking a series of three-pointers from Broom, Ashlyn Ryan, and Garfield’s Mariah Roy, Lewis, and Fiso. Broom capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, but Garfield led 46-33 going into the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs excelled offensively, going on a 5-0 run with contributions from Lessig and Fiso. Midway through, Broom scored two points, ending the Bulldog run. Garfield’s defense was tenacious, especially in the final moments, as players fought for every loose ball. Fiso’s eight points in the quarter kept Lakeside from taking the lead.
As the semifinal between the top two Metro League teams neared its end, Broom received her third foul, sending Garfield’s key player Fiso to the line, where she converted 1 of 2 free throws, securing a 62-45 victory over Lakeside.
With this win, the Garfield Bulldogs advance to the final round of the 3A Girls State Championship game, where they will face Mead on Saturday, Mar. 2nd, at 9:00 pm. Lakeside will play Snohomish for either 3rd or 5th place on Saturday, Mar. 2nd, at 1:00 pm.
