La Conner shipwrecks Lady Viking upset bid

In an ebb-and-flow kind of game, it was a late La Conner scoring tsunami that sank the upset-minded Orcas Lady Vikings Wednesday at Landy James Gym.

The hosts went on a 35-12 second half run to break open what had been a close contest at intermission and secure a key 57-32 NW2B hoop triumph.

Freshman Justine Benson scored 14 of her game-high 23 points after halftime to lead La Conner, which improved to 6-1 going into this week’s Port Townsend Invitational Tournament action.

“Justine scored so quickly,” La Conner head coach Scott Novak noted afterward, “that I didn’t realize she ended up with that many points.”

Senior post Ashley Watkins added another 14, including one of La Conner’s two treys on the afternoon.

Kayla Hagen, continuing a recent trend, provided a spark off the bench for victors. She finished with six points and helped bolster a La Conner backcourt playing minus senior starter Nakesha Edwards.

The Lady Braves bolted to a quick 17-8 lead, then settled for a slim 22-20 edge at the break.

It was a different story after halftime.

“We had a little letdown in the second quarter after we had jumped out in front,” Novak acknowledged. “But Ashley and Kayla really sparked us in the second half.”

Both did a great job of recognizing Benson had the hot hand, he added, and looked to get her open looks.

Watkins, in fact, recorded three assists – two to Benson – one shy of team leader Nakiya Edwards, who dished off for four scores.

Watkins also reeled in 10 rebounds, which along with six steals by Matty Lagerwey helped trigger La Conner’s transition game.

Orcas was led by junior guard Katy Minnis, who scored eight points and hit the Lady Vikings’ two three-pointers.

Junior forward Jessie Nichols came off the bench to add seven tallies for Orcas.

The Minnis-Nichols one-two punch couldn’t knock out the Lady Braves, however.

La Conner rebounded from its sub-par second quarter to put together a 16-7 third period run. The Lady Braves closed with a 19-5 spurt in the final stanza.

With Nakesha Edwards sidelined, Novak turned to senior Biruktawit Hasenbalg to fill a spot starter role. She responded in fine fashion, getting La Conner on the board first by meshing a mid-range jumper and then providing energy at the defensive end while playing extended minutes.

Hagen, meanwhile, handled point guard duties for the Lady Braves during lengthy stretches in the second half.

The Lady Braves got high percentage shots throughout, in great part due to crisp passing in their half-court set and forcing 17 steals at the defensive end, often resulting in layup opportunities.

La Conner hit 23 of 57 shots from the floor. The Lady Braves were nine-of-16 at the charity stripe.

With the win, La Conner handed Orcas its first defeat of the campaign. The Lady Vikings were 4-1 entering this week’s play.

In a related note:

• For the first time this season, with Nakesha Edwards out, La Conner wasn’t able to put its two sets of twins on the floor. Joanie Benson, Justine’s twin, grabbed an offensive rebound for the winners.