By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Franklin Lady Quakers faced off against the Rainier Beach Lady Vikings in a Metro League matchup Friday night at Franklin High School. Franklin, who came into the game riding a two-game win streak, was looking to avenge an earlier season loss to the Vikings and improve their playoff position as they enter the latter stages of the regular season.
The Vikings (4-9 overall), who entered the game as the 11th place team in the Metro League, had a difficult time stopping the Quakers in the first quarter, as Franklin Senior Nevaeh Hamburg gave them a run for their money. From the opening tip, the Quakers showcased their team chemistry and got all of their players into the flow of the game. However, behind the rebounding and scoring efforts of Hamburg, Franklin was able to go on an impressive 11-point run that set the tone for the game.
During the run, the Quakers forced the Vikings into multiple turnovers, including some over-and-back calls, as Rainier Beach struggled to get the ball past half-court. Hamburg was nearly unstoppable as she ignited both the offense and defense for the Quakers, and they built a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
“Nevaeh is one of our best players, obviously everyone already knows that, and everyone game plans against her. So, if we can get her a lot of points, we are going to feel good about it,” said Franklin Girls Basketball Assistant Coach Kyle Dvorak, who was filling in for Head Coach Willie McClain during the game.
During the second quarter, the Quakers continued to smother the Vikings defensively, as they allowed them to only score 8 points during the quarter, extending their lead to 28-11 at halftime. The woes for the Vikings continued in the third quarter, as the intense Quaker defense forced another over-and-back violation to begin the second half. It was at this point of the game that the Quakers began to score at will, and the momentum stayed in their favor.
The overall dynamic of the third quarter was hectic for both teams. Trying to cut into the Quaker lead in any way possible, Rainier Beach tried to rally behind the play of senior Mikah Brooks. Not backing down at any opportunity to get shots or rebounds, Brooks put up a formidable fight as she single-handedly tried to rally her team and keep them in the game. Despite their efforts, Franklin outscored Rainier Beach 18-3 during the quarter and pretty much put the game out of reach.
During the fourth quarter, the Quakers would pick up where they left off in the third quarter and quickly went on a 13-0 run as they built a commanding 32-point lead. With only 4 minutes left to play in the game, the defensive ability from the Lady Quakers continued, as they were still forcing Rainier Beach to commit turnovers on nearly every offensive possession. When the final buzzer sounded to end the game, Franklin had posted an impressive 61-15 victory over the Lady Vikings.
“I thought we played awesome. The energy was great. We got to get all of our players in, which is really good for morale,” said Dvorak. “I wish our head coach could be here for this win, but I just had so much fun.”
This was the second matchup this season for these two teams, where each game played out completely differently. During the first matchup, the Vikings defeated the Quakers 58-27; this time around, the Quakers returned the favor with a dominant win over the Vikings.
With the win, Franklin extended their current win streak to three games. The Lady Quakers will look to continue their winning ways as they will face the Federal Way Eagles in a non-league matchup on Monday, followed by a Metro League matchup with Cleveland on Wednesday.
Pictorial Highlights of Franklin vs Rainier Beach
