In first playoff game, Spartan girls fall short against Mount Si
The Skyline Spartans girls basketball team suffered a 55-48 loss to the Mount Si Wildcats on Thursday that moves them to the second round of double elimination in the playoffs.
The first quarter featured defense and hustle from both teams. Mount Si got the scoring started with a layup from guard Hailey Mitchell, but Skyline fired right back with a contested three by junior Kate Reinkensmeyer. Reinkensmeyer kept her momentum going as she went on to score eight of Skyline’s 12 points. Nevertheless, Mount Si kept the game tight with two free throws and one bucket from forward Amaya Burns, cutting Skyline’s lead to one at 12-11 heading into the second quarter.
The Spartans continued their momentum into the second quarter as Reinkensmeyer started the scoring with a layup and Cassie Miller extended the lead with a three-pointer, making the score 17-11. Mount Si stayed persistent though, as a mid-range jumper from Maia Miller and a three-pointer from McKenna Turley gave the Wildcats a 21-20 lead with 3:52 left in the quarter. Mount Si then started to pull away with a 9-2 run to end the quarter, highlighted by two 3-pointers from senior guard Zada White. They entered halftime with a 33-24 lead over the Spartans.
After the break, Skyline returned aiming to bring the game within reach. However, the Wildcats had other plans, playing hard defense and limiting the scoring throughout the quarter. Reinkensmeyer started the scoring with two free throws to cut the lead to seven, but White fired right back with two free throws of her own. After that, there was no scoring for four minutes until Turley hit two free throws to extend the lead to 39-28. Skyline seemed to gain some traction as they finished back-to-back contested layups, but Maia Miller hit a difficult midrange jumper to bring the score to 41-32 heading into the fourth quarter.
With one last chance to save the game, the Spartans were ready to give it all they had. Reinkensmeyer got them started with a quick bucket to cut the lead to seven, but White remained hot, scoring another bucket to bring the score to 43-34. Both teams played physical defense, but Mount Si pulled away as Mitchell took over the fourth quarter, hitting a clutch three-pointer and a mid-range shot to bring the score to 49-38. Skyline tried to claw back with a few buckets, but with a layup from Turley and two free throws from White, the game was iced with two minutes left to spare, pushing the Spartans to the second round of double elimination.
The Skyline Spartans will play Issaquah for their next playoff matchup on Feb. 10.
