January 2012

Fourth quarter falloffs frustrated the Evergreen Lutheran boys' attempts to clinch a SeaTac 2B League playoff spot in a 57-51 loss to Tacoma Baptist as part of the annual Winter Fest activities at the Des Moines campus on Saturday, Jan. 28.

The Eagles are now tied with the Crusaders in fourth place with records of 3-5. Evergreen Lutheran could have clinched a playoff spot with a win, but still has a point differential advantage against the Crusaders in their split games if both teams remain tied at the end of the season. EL needs to take care of its own business, including a Jan. 30 make up game against visiting Cross Point (Bremerton).

"Tacoma Baptist just had too many free throws (17-of-27 to Evergreen Lutheran's 10-of-19)," observed Eagle head coach Jeff Kurbis. "When we took too many outside shots, we were not getting the ball to the high post. That's not our game. We need to get to the hoop and keep away from unfortunate turnovers. Even our shooting (31.7 per cent) was down."

It came down to a critical fourth quarter play that embodied the unfortunate turnovers that plagued Evergreen Lutheran throughout.

Seattle Christian regained its flow and intensity in a 60-26 unhorsing of the Cowboys from Chimacum in Class 1A Nisqually League girls' basketball action in SeaTac on Friday, Jan. 27.

Cascade Christian (7-0) leads second place Seattle Christian (7-1) in the standings through Jan. 27. The Warriors reached 9-7 overall with this win.

Steal, rebound, release and score turned into the instigators of the Warrior defensive and offensive domination of the game. In a 14-2 first quarter outburst, SCS claimed an 18-2 first quarter clearance. Joining Collier's energetic efforts, the entire Warrior team propelled the margin to 32-8 before Chimacum scored a basket with 26.5 seconds remaining in the first half, ending a scoring drought that lasted longer than nine minutes going back to the second quarter.

For the rest of the game, Seatle Christian used the substitute shuttle system of mixing and matching different player combinations while keeping the intensity level high enough to post leads of 38 points twice before the final buzzer.

Richard Jensen and Cody Miller combined for 35 points to pace the Seattle Christian Warriors to a 66-63 defeat of visiting Chimacum in Nisqually 1A boys' basketball on Friday, Jan. 27.

Seattle Christian (12-3 overall) is in a three-way battle for first place in the league standings. The Warriors are in a first place tie at 7-1 with Cascade Christian while Life Christian lurks closely behind at 5-2. Chimacum dropped to 4-4 and 10-6.

"We battled all the way after a slow start," SCS head coach Shaun DeYager observed. "We took an early time out to talk about battling, sharing the ball and did better in controlling the game. This was how we respond to adversity. I like our chances, but it will be a dogfight to the end."

SCS led most of the way, but Chimacum kept the deficit less than 10 points due mainly to three-point field goals, scoring 33 points on 11-of-35 shooting from beyond the arc.

Tacoma Baptist toppled the Evergreen Lutheran girls, 46-13, in SeaTac 2B basketball action during Winter Fest day in Des Moines on Saturday, Jan. 28.

Despite the score, the homestanding Eagles showed positive development in several areas.

Early in the game, the Warriors exhibited improved ball handling skills and passed the ball around to create good shot opportunities with Heather Schmeichel scoring a basket to move the Eagles withinj 5-2.

The Crusaders used superior talent and experience to pull away for 17 straight points and a 17-2 advantage going into the second quarter and just kept accelerating away.

Evergreen Lutheran showed more poise against the press, using a player near the middle at halfcourt as the point of passing to beat the press better than it did in a previous encounter at Tacoma Baptist. Players also showed more awareness to find openings for passes. Rebounding was stil a tough area, but aggressiveness, especially on defense, surfaced in the form of players diving for loose balls and improved defensive positioning.

On Jan. 27 Tukwila police were contacted by a 13-year-old girl who said a man tried to lure her into his vehicle as she walked home from school, according to a Tukwila Police Department press release.

Additional information from Tukwila PD:
Tukwila officers gathered the information from the 13-year-old girl about the suspect and the vehicle. Officers responded to the area where the girl stated the luring incident occurred, and located a vehicle and person driving that matched the suspect description given by the girl. The vehicle attempted to flee from officers but was quickly stopped and the driver was arrested at a nearby location. The driver of the vehicle, a 27-year-old man from Seatac, was taken into custody and identified by the victim.

Tukwila Police Detectives are conducting interviews of the persons involved, and investigating the incident.

Japanese American Day of Remembrance observes the 70th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It authorized the evacuation and incarceration of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast, most of whom were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents

In Washington state, nearly 13,000 people of Japanese descent were ultimately sent to detention centers. Most Seattleites ended up at Camp Minidoka near Hunt, Idaho, while the majority of rural Western Washington evacuees were sent to Tule Lake in California.

South Seattle Community College is holding a series of events to recognize this historic date.

Wednesday, February 15
11 – 11:50 am - Mary Matsuda Gruenewald will discuss her memoir, Looking Like the Enemy, and share her story of living in several Incarceration Camps
12 – 1 pm – Mark Mitsui, South’s former vice president of Student Services and current president of North Seattle Community College will discuss the significance of this Day of Remembrance with author, Mary Matsuda Greunewald.

Big time defense and an ability to pass the ball inside combined to push Todd Beamer to a 54-39 Class 4A SPSL girls' basketball victory against visiting Graham-Kapowsin on Thursday, January 26.

Beamer climbed to 4-8 league and 7-9 overall. Graham-Kapowsin dropped to 1-9 and 1-13.

"We were moving the ball well and getting it to our big girls," said Titan head coach Heather Sugg.

Clinging to a 19-16 lead near the middle of the second quarter, Todd Beamer snapped out of its doldrums to deliver the first of several key strikes that turned the game completely its way.

Following two Makayla Sullivan free throws, Megan Anderson popped home a short range jump shot.

A Beamer duo later countered Molissika Saar's goal for Graham-Kapowsin. Anderson and Tre'Auna Culp each notched a basket to cap an 8-2 TB scoring run that forged a 27-18 Titan halftime lead.

Opening action in the second half prolonged the rout of the Eagles as TB totally tightened its defense to ignite its offense.

Tuesday, Jan. 24
Boys basketball
Kennedy 66, Foster 52
Mitch Penner poured in 30 points to lead the Kennedy Catholic Lancers to victory over Foster.

TJ 69, Mt. Rainier 57
Thomas Jefferson knocked off the Rams in a game that went into overtime

Girls basketball
Mt. Rainier 61, TJ 21
Kiana Gandy led the Rams to a 40-point win over the Raiders with 25 points.

Wednesday, Jan. 25
Wrestling
Evergreen 42, Lindbergh 40
Evergreen edged the Eagles in a two-point Seamount League match Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Lindbergh 60, Tyee 7
Tyee was trounced by Lindbergh in Seamount action this past Wednesday.
Evergreen and Tyee have had a combined team for practices and both met Lindbergh at the same time.

Boys basketball
Lindbergh 67, Highline 59
Highline took a close eight-point loss at the hands of Lindbergh last Wednesday.

Renton 64, Tyee 38
Renton routed the Totems in Wednesday, Jan. 25 action.

Girls basketball
Highline 41, Lindbergh 32
Highline was a nine-point winner in a Seamount League girls clash Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Renton 60, Tyee 44

Tuesday, Jan. 24
TJ 69, Mt. Rainier 57
Thomas Jefferson knocked off the Rams in a game that went into overtime Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Federal Way 74, Spanaway Lk. 70
The Eagles worked through two overtimes to pull out a four-point win this past Tuesday.

Brayon Blake buried 26 points to lead the way to victory as Deonte Anderson scored 24 and D'Londo Tucker 17.

Girls basketball
Mt. Rainier 61, TJ 21
Kiana Gandy led the Rams to a 40-point win over the Raiders with 25 points.

Beamer 63, Puyallup 56
Megan Huff and Meghan Graf tallied 20 points apiece in last Tuesday's win.

Bonney Lake 51, Decatur 41
Decatur took a 10-point loss on the road this past Tuesday.

Wednesday, Jan. 25
Boys basketball
Decatur 73, Auburn-Mountainview 66
The Gators won a snow makeup game over Auburn-Mountainview last Wednesday in the South Puget Sound League's Class 3A division.

Thursday, Jan. 26
Girls basketball
NW Yesheva 57, Christian Faith 24
Christian Faith Center of Federal Way absorbed a lopsided loss Thursday.

Federal Way 66, Curtis 25

Third quarter dynamite devastated the opposition and led the SPSL 3A league leading Decatur Gators to a 55-37 boys' basketball verdict against the visiting Bonney Lake Panthers.

Decatur won its seventh game in a row to raise its overall record to 11-4 while developing a 5-0 league standard. Bonney Lake fell to 6-9 and 1-4.

"We're really coming together as a team," said Decatur head coach Kevin Olson. "Our defense in the third quarter was really good. We challenged ourselves in December to raise our level and step up. The win against Lakes was huge. We need to continue taking care of business and don't look by anybody."

Leading 29-25 with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter, the Gators began gobbling up the Gator Dome court. Being patient with its ball movement, Decatur picked apart the Panther defense for good drives inside that led to close range baskets.

As the defense extended its territory to full court domination, the Gators literally ran away with the result with an up tempo pace against a foe that had problems scoring points, protecting the ball and guarding the boards.