Eatonville Lady Cruiser basketball team improve to 2-0

Photo by Cheryl Taylor

Eatonville’s Bailey Andersen puts up a shot in the Cruisers’ victory over Morton-White Pass on Saturday. Andersen scored 45 points, breaking the school record of 43 held by Hailey Rath.

After having their season opener against the Morton-White Pass Wolves postponed and rescheduled because of the recent snowstorm, the Eatonville Lady Cruiser basketball team finally got their season underway last week when they hosted Foss High School in a non-league matchup, with the Cruisers trouncing the Falcons, 75-31, to give first-year head coach Deanna Andersen her first win.

The Cruisers followed up with a 78-61 win over the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves on Saturday in a game where Cruiser sophomore point guard Bailey Andersen broke Hailey Rath’s scoring record by dropping 45 points.

Deanna Andersen and Bailey, her daughter, didn’t have the scoring record in mind going into the game.

“Neither Bailey nor I had any idea about the record,” Deanna Andersen said. “She knew the record was set by Hailey Rath, of course, because we saw her set it, but I didn't know until after the game that she had beaten it.”

Bailey Andersen was equally unaware.

“I didn’t realize until I looked at the scoreboard that I had made it,” she said. “It’s amazing because Hailey Rath left big shoes to fill.

“I could have never broken this record without having a strong team that is willing to fight for everything,” she added.

The Cruisers trailed MWP by 12 after the opening quarter, slowly clawing their way back into the game, and only trailed by five at the half. Andersen led all scorers in the half with 16 points.

Eatonville opened the third quarter by taking the lead on an 11-3 run. Andersen scored 14 of the team's 19 points in the quarter and helped extend the Cruiser lead to four, at 52-48.

In the final frame, the Lady Cruisers put the game away by out-scoring the T-Wolves 26-13, with Andersen scoring 15 of those points on her way to her record-breaking 45 to give Eatonville a 78-61 victory.

In the Cruisers’ season opener, Eatonville bullied their way to a 44-point victory, 75-31.

“The girls came out a bit sluggish and started to warm up in the second a bit but were still not playing like themselves,” Deanna Andersen said. “They really got fired up at halftime so that we could come out more aggressive. Finally, the spark ignited, and they started playing, not just reacting.

“To quote one of my seniors, ‘We are more like family than a team,’ and I believe that in how much they support each other and have faith that each member can do their part to get the win,” she said.

Eatonville got things started on their opening possession when Bailey Andersen hit from the right side of the key to give the Cruisers a 2-0 lead. They never relinquished the lead.

The Cruisers reeled off 15 straight points to open the game and held the Falcons scoreless until the final seconds of the first quarter when Andrea Tillman laid the ball up and in to give Foss its first points of the game. That 15-2 run put the game out of reach early and allowed the Cruisers to pile on more points as the game progressed.

In the second quarter, Foss put up more of a fight and scored 12 points to Eatonville’s 17. The teams headed to the locker rooms at halftime with the Cruisers leading, 32-14.

Andersen scored 10 of her game-high 25 points in the third quarter to extend Eatonville’s lead to 50-24 as the teams headed into the final quarter.

Junior Sara Smith poured in six points in the final frame to help Eatonville come away with the victory.

“I’ve been so happy with how everyone has stepped up,” Deanna Andersen said. “Sara is another leader on the court for us. She is really quarterbacking the team and making sure people get where they need to be and helping some of the players newer to varsity. The communication, overall, has really improved. It’s nice to know I’m not limited to five players and those on the bench will also contribute.”

Next, the Lady Cruisers host the Cascade Christian Cougars at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

EATONVILLE 75, FOSS 31

Eatonville: 15 17 18 25 — 75

Foss: 2 12 10 7 — 31

Eatonville: Bailey Andersen 25, Alayna Meyer 13, Brooke Blocker 11, Lillian Bickford 8, Sara Smith 6, Hannah Kralik 5, Hailey Hall 4, Ryan Stammen 2, Ella Gendreau 1.

EATONVILLE 78, MORTON-WHITE PASS 61

Eatonville: 12 21 19 26 — 78

MWP: 24 14 10 13 — 61

Eatonville: Bailey Andersen 45, Sara Smith 11, Ryan Stammen 8, Brooke Blocker 5, Hailey Hall 4, Alayna Meyer 3, Hannah Kralik 2.