Lady Braves win bi-district hoops crown

The girls' basketball team is going back to Spokane. Winners of the Northwest Bi-District title, they were seeded sixth in the 16-team state girls 2B Hardwood Classic. They face No. 3 Napavine in first round regional action this weekend.

The winner advances to the Spokane Arena March 2 against either Davenport, Raymond, Adna or Warden. The loser tips off March 1 opposite Forks or Northwest Christian of Colbert.

La Conner (19-4) enters state action after Coach Joe Harper's team drubbed NWC-Lacey 63-16 last Tuesday and drilled Coupeville 59-35 on Wednesday.

The Lady Braves easily won the opener despite resting top scorer Ellie Marble, who was nursing a lower back strain. The senior returned to victimize Coupeville with 16 points and a half dozen rebounds.

Seniors Makayla Herrera and Josie Harper each recorded double-doubles in the Tuesday matchup with the Lady Wolverines.

Herrera scored a game-high 21 points on shooting from the floor and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

Harper was seven of 10 on field goal attempts and finished with 18 points to go along with 10 assists.

Freshman point guard Shaniquah Casey also scored in double figures with 12 points.

Kennedy Miller (6), Maeve McCormick (4) and Lydia Grossglass (2) rounded out the La Conner attack.

The team shot at a 51% clip (28 of 55) and added five of nine charity tosses.

The Tuesday game had been delayed because the Lacey team was caught in Port Townsend when high winds shut down the Keystone ferry to Coupeville.

That meant La Conner was playing its second game in as many nights in the finale.

No problem on that count. Especially with Marble back in the fold.

La Conner took an early 8-0 lead, then stretched its edge to 28-12 at intermission. The Lady Braves clinched matters with a 20-6 run in the third period.

In addition to Marble, Josie Harper (19) and McCormick – who scored a season high 11 points – landed in double-digit scoring.

Herrera pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds and added eight points. Miller scored a deep trey.

The team was 20 of 44 from the floor and 15 of 23 from the foul stripe. The winners were four of 12 from three-point range, with Harper meshing two of her four attempts from beyond the trey line.

Harper also dished out five of La Conner's nine assists.