Lady Braves clinch league title by downing MVC

They didn’t win in a breeze, but the La Conner High Lady Braves didn’t blow an early chance to clinch the NW2B girls’ hoop title, either.

La Conner did so with a steady — if unspectacular — 46-37 road triumph over the Mount Vernon Christian Lady Hurricanes on Friday.

With the victory, the Lady Braves wrapped up the league championship with a week remaining in the regular season.

La Conner took an unblemished 10-0 conference slate into late Monday action with Shoreline Christian. The Lady Braves finish NW2B play at home opposite Friday Harbor on Feb. 3.

Defeating Mount Vernon Christian, though, proved a tall order.

The Lady Hurricanes posed matchup problems with 6’-0” post players Victoria Heino and Emilia Lam. The Mount Vernon Christian duo combined for 18 points, most coming in the paint.

“They were able to do some things with their height and length,” La Conner head coach Scott Novak noted afterward. “They took up a lot of space. If you put it in guys’ terms, it would be like a team having a couple 6’-7” posts.”

Still, the Lady Braves prevailed.

Senior guard Nakiya Edwards delivered a game-high 21 points, including all 12 of La Conner’s points in the final stanza.

Two of her fourth quarter scores came from beyond the three-point arc.

“Nakiya hit a couple key buckets down the stretch,” said Novak, “and that was the difference.”

Justine Benson joined her in double digits, meshing 16 points, nine in the third frame.

La Conner bolted to a quick 11-2 lead via baskets by Benson, Nakesha Edwards, and Ashley Watkins.

“We played pretty even after that,” Novak said. “We couldn’t quite put them away. You have to give Mount Vernon Christian credit. They were able to stay within striking distance the rest of the game.”

Watkins battled hard against Heino and Lam inside, reeling in a team-best 12 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass.

Matty Lagerwey, the lone La Conner starter to not score, made her presence felt just the same. She led the victors with three assists to go along with four steals, three deflections, and two blocked shots.

Heino paced Mount Vernon Christian with 10 points, scoring all but two of those in the fourth quarter. Lam and Josie Droog finished with eight apiece.

“It was definitely a great atmosphere,” said Novak. “There was a big crowd and a lot of noise.”

The kind of atmosphere the Lady Braves can expect going forward as post-season looms just around the corner.