Skyline girls basketball crushes Renton
The Skyline Spartans girls basketball team continued their winning season Wednesday with a blowout victory against the Renton Redhawks, winning by a massive 75-19 margin after coming back from the midseason break.
The Spartans took control almost immediately after the game started. Risha Anumolu got the home crowd worked up, following a pair of free throws, when she unexpectedly snatched the ball from the Redhawks and immediately drained a three-point bucket, allowing Skyline to take the early lead. Caught off guard and unable to recover, the Redhawks struggled to keep up throughout the quarter and fell behind, 17-8, to close the first period.
The second quarter opened with an electrifying exchange of three-pointers between both teams that had fans on their feet. However, unable to continue adding to the board and reeling with frustration, Renton resorted to aggressive play that sent the Spartans to the line for two more points, furthering their rout. Adding insult to injury, Addison McGillis broke through a wall of defenders, in dramatic fashion, to hit a three-pointer for Skyline. By halftime, the Spartans had taken complete control with an additional 25 points on the board, compared to only 6 points for Renton. The score at the half was 42-15.
If they were going to save face in the second half, the Redhawks would need to completely rework their strategy. Unfortunately for them, Skyline refused to ease the pressure as Kate Reinkensmeyer and Anumolu hit back-to-back two-pointers to keep the Spartan momentum alive. Natalie Culver added her own touch to the excitement with a three-pointer while surrounded by Redhawk defenders, pushing the score to 60-18 to end the third quarter.
Exhausted and unable to stop the Skyline offense, Renton tried to rally in the fourthquarter, but the Spartans’ unrelenting pressure left them reeling. As Jane Simon caught fire in the final minutes, sinking shot after shot for the Spartans, the Redhawks appeared completely drained and unable to answer back, adding only a single point to their score in the final period.
Skyline closed the game with an overwhelming 75-19 victory. This marks the Spartans’ fourth straight home win, boosting their season record to 8-3.
The Skyline Spartans will play the Stanwood Spartans on Monday, Jan. 13, at Skyline High School at 7:00 p.m.
