Girls: Cruisers end week with mixed results

In a week marked by highs and lows, the Eatonville Cruiser girls' basketball team played two pivotal games that showcased their competitive prowess. On Thursday, the Lady Cruisers embarked on a journey south to face the Castle Rock Lady Rockets, clinching a hard-fought victory before returning home to host the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves on Saturday.

The first quarter of Thursday's face-off against Castle Rock was a tightly contested battle, with both teams locked in a close match. However, the Lady Cruisers managed to pull ahead, finishing the quarter with a 16-13 lead. The second quarter saw Eatonville extending their dominance, outscoring the Lady Rockets 18-13 and taking a comfortable 34-26 lead into halftime.

The third quarter witnessed the Cruisers' lead expanding to 14 points, courtesy of a couple of impressive 5-0 runs, with the scoreboard reading 48-34. Despite the Rockets mounting a late push in the last quarter, narrowing the gap to 14 points after the Cruisers had built a lead of as much as 20 points; Eatonville secured victory with a final score of 63-49.

Bailey Andersen led the scoring charge with an outstanding 26 points, while Lillian Bickford contributed 14 points and 8 boards. Rounding out the scoring for the Cruisers was Hailey Hall with 7 points and 8 boards, Sara Smith with 6, Ryan Stammen 5, Jordan Green 3, Sadie Mettler and Chloe Patterson both with 1.

Returning home, the Cruisers faced the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves on Saturday, seeking to replicate their earlier victory in the season. However, the Timberwolves had other plans, leading 12-10 after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 11 points (30-19) by halftime. Despite a spirited 9-1 run by Eatonville in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to only 3 points, the Timberwolves responded decisively, building a commanding 15-point lead heading into the final quarter.

Although the Cruisers outscored Morton-White Pass 15-13 in the fourth quarter, it wasn't sufficient to overturn the deficit, resulting in a 61-48 loss. Bailey Andersen once again led the scoring for Eatonville with 17 points. Lillian Bickford would have an off-night, scoring below her 10 points per game average with 6 points and 9 rebounds, while Hailey Hall showcased her prowess on the boards with a game-high 12 rebounds and 6 points.

With these results, the Lady Cruisers now stand at a season record of 4-2. Their next challenge awaits as they face their rivals, the Orting Cardinals, on Thursday in Orting at 5 p.m. in their final game before the Christmas break.