Lady Braves remain atop league standings

They’re perfect in league play thus far.

That’s the good news for the La Conner High girls’ basketball team.

The better news is the Lady Braves continue to improve.

“Our defense and rebounding are really getting better,” insisted La Conner head coach Scott Novak, whose team was 12-2 overall and 6-0 in NW2B action going into Tuesday’s late conference date at Concrete.

This after La Conner defeated league rivals Shoreline Christian and Friday Harbor and 1A South Whidbey in succession last week.

The Lady Braves routed Shoreline 55-13 and Friday Harbor 48-24 on the road, before returning to Landy James Gym for a 49-35 win over South Whidbey on Saturday.

“We’re playing good, solid basketball right now,” Novak said.

Especially at the defensive end, and on the glass.

For example, La Conner broke open a close, tense match at Friday Harbor with a 17-2 run in the third quarter.

The Lady Braves held Friday Harbor without a field goal during the period, yielding just a pair of Ciera Bailey free throws.

La Conner, meanwhile, extended a 20-13 halftime edge with superb inside-outside play.

Senior forward Ashley Watkins posted up effectively in the frame, while Nakiya Edwards, Justine Benson, and Matty Lagerwey did damage on the perimeter.

Watkins and Edwards led the victors with 12 points apiece. Each scored four points during the decisive third quarter, as did Benson and Lagerwey.

Watkins added five rebounds and an assist, while Edwards recorded three steals and a blocked shot.

The unsung hero, according to Novak, was Nakesha Edwards.

She finished with a team-best four steals and three deflections against Friday Harbor, then produced similar numbers in the South Whidbey game.

“She’s been playing very, very well,” Novak said of Nakesha Edwards. “She does all the intangibles for us. And she can score when called upon, too.”

Nakesha Edwards netted four points against South Whidbey, a night which saw Nakiya Edwards explode for 19 points and Justine Benson add another 15.

Watkins reeled in eight rebounds and led the Lady Braves with three assists.

Pretty much everyone got in on the scoring act at Shoreline Christian.

Justine Benson led three La Conner players in double-digits, finishing with 14 points, all but four of which came after the break.

Nakiya Edwards had 12 points, and Lagerwey chipped in a season-high 11.

“What really impressed me at Shoreline,” said Novak, “is that we came out and took care of business. We played very well. We didn’t have any let-downs. We just focused on what we had to do to win the basketball game.”

The Lady Braves were relentless at the defensive end, igniting a faced-paced transition game that helped La Conner build a massive 35-2 first half lead.

That approach worked two nights later at Friday Harbor when paired against a short-handed Lady Wolverines team playing without 5’-10” senior Hayden Mayer.

“She’s a very good player,” Novak said of Mayer.

Still, it’s not likely Mayer alone could’ve made up La Conner’s 24-point winning margin.

Not when the Lady Braves dished off eight assists, crashed the boards for eight offensive rebounds — creating key second shot opportunities in the process — and saw seven players land in the scoring column.

Two of those players — Joanie Benson and Nakiya Edwards — each drained a pair of deep treys.

La Conner looks to resume its winning ways at Orcas this Friday. The Lady Braves entertain Darrington Jan. 24.