EDMONDS — In an upset victory, the Lady Tomahawks showed the fighting spirit that earned them a trip to the state tournament a year ago.
Trailing 43-42 to Edmonds-Woodway with 12 seconds remaining of a first-round district game Feb. 10, Marysville-Pilchuck got a seemingly open look out of an inbounds play, but Emily Enberg’s layin was blocked.
Senior Morgan Martinis grabbed the loose ball and took it by two Warriors for a scoop shot, silencing the Edmonds-Woodway student section that had migrated to just feet behind the sideline.
The M-P bench erupted as Edmonds tried to get a shot off with just over a second remaining, but it was short.
“I just know we had to score,” said Martinis. “I thought I could get fouled and hopefully win it at the line.”
But there was no need for free throws, and that last-second shot knocked off the district’s No. 1 seed and put M-P within one more win of another state berth with the 44-43 win.
The Tommies completed a comeback against the Warriors, who hadn’t lost a game to a Western Conference opponent this season, by tightening their defense from the second quarter on. Trailing 14-6 at the end of the first frame, M-P outran the Warriors from then on, riding an 11-2 run to earn a 17-16 lead and a 23-20 lead by halftime.
“We just played with more effort and energy than I’ve seen all season,” said M-P coach Julie Martin. “And then I told them at halftime that it’s going to all be about in heart in this one. Win or lose, we’re going to be excited coming off the court, and they definitely did that.”
The Tommies were able to maintain a faster pace than they have the past couple of weeks with the addition of guard Becca Lentz, the team’s per game leader in almost every category but points, who just came off a knee injury that kept her sidelined for a month.
“I don’t think people realize just how important she is and how many things she helps us in,” said Martin. “She was our hustler out there tonight, grabbing boards and pushing the ball.”
M-P had been without an experienced guard for most of the second half of the season because of knee injuries to Lentz and Andi Adams.
E-W retook the lead and held a 43-37 advantage with about three minutes remaining before Lentz hit a 3-pointer and the Tommies’ defense held the Warriors scoreless from that point on.
Leading the Tommies was Dacia Heckendorf, who scored a game-high 18 points while Martinis added 13.
