La Conner High girls hoop team nearly blanks Friday Harbor

It usually is not a good sign when a basketball team has just one defensive rebound in the first quarter and only 14 for the game.

But that was not the case for the unbeaten La Conner High girls’ basketball team Saturday at Landy James Gym.

The Lady Braves played such good defense against NW2B rival Friday Harbor that the visitors turned the ball over repeatedly and rarely got good shots at the hoop.

Thus, there were not rebounds off the defensive glass to be grabbed.

La Conner (9-0) remained atop league standings with a lopsided 67-6 triumph in which Friday Harbor did not hit a single field goal attempt – its entire point total coming from the foul stripe in the second half.

Friday Harbor did not get on the scoreboard until the 7:12 mark of the third period when Falon Taylor drained a couple charity tosses.

By then, La Conner was safely ahead 52-2.

Josie Harper paced La Conner with 19 points, including a pair of perimeter treys.

Rachel Cram (16), Juna Swanson (13) and Sarah Cook also finished in double figure scoring for the Lady Braves.

Cram and Swanson, like Harper, each hit twice from behind the trey arc.

Cram matched teammate Katie Watkins with five steals, while Swanson fueled the La Conner attack with six assists.

Cook chipped in four steals and three assists.

La Conner head coach Scott Novak was especially pleased with how well his charges passed the ball.

“We’re looking to make the extra pass,” he said afterward. “These players are willing to give up a solid shot for an even better one by a teammate. It’s something we’ve been emphasizing lately.”

That was evident from the get-go as Cram dished off nicely to Cook for the game’s first bucket before some fans had settled into their seats. That pattern would continue.

Cook returned the favor by assisting Cram on a layup that put La Conner in front 8-0. Swanson fed Harper moments later for the first of her three-pointers, extending the Lady Braves’ margin to 13-0. Then it was Cram’s turn to set up Harper for a left-handed layup in transition and a 15-0 La Conner lead.

Cram scored twice to end the frame. She reeled in a pass from Swanson for a lay-in, then beat the first quarter buzzer with a trey-ball to push La Conner in front 22-0. The Lady Braves were up 40-0 at intermission.

As has often been the case in La Conner’s previous nine triumphs, the second half was played with a running clock.

The rout was similar to last Wednesday’s results when the Lady Braves romped 79-13 past Coupeville as Swanson (13), Harper (12), Ellie Marble (10) and Aubrie Sloniker (10) combined for 45 points.

No such blowouts were expected this week as La Conner faced 2A Burlington-Edison late Tuesday and entertains 2A Lynden tomorrow (Thursday) in a much anticipated 7 p.m. home tipoff.

“These games,” Novak said on Saturday, “should give us an idea of where we’re at as a team. I think I know where we’re at, but they’ll definitely be good tests for us.”

La Conner was to have been paired against a third 2A opponent this week. But a June 12 matchup here with Anacortes has been nixed due to COVID-19. Novak told the Weekly News he was hoping to fill that date, perhaps with Nooksack Valley, another larger enrollment school.

The Lady Braves wrap up the 2021 spring season June 14 at Meridian (7:15 p.m.) and June 15 at Mount Vernon Christian (6 p.m.).