SEATAC--Even the officials wound up undermanned in this game.

One of the three left in an ambulance with chest pains with 4:27 to play in the second quarter of Friday's girls basketball game between Tyee and Evergreen in the Totems' home gymnasium, and Tyee started off the game short-handed with only five players suited up.

The Totems still built up big leads on Evergreen of White Center, then had to hang on as the Wolverines battled back against four and then only three Tyee players.

Tyee had a 39-30 advantage when Keyara Brooks fouled out with 3:02 remaining in the game, and the lead was whittled to 45-40 before Khalya Guy fouled out with 20 seconds left.

Marleisha Cox of Evergreen then scored on her own putback to make it 45-42 with 10 seconds remaining.

Cox went to the foul line with four seconds left and missed both shots, then her team got the ball back on an out of bounds play with two ticks of the clock remaining.

Stephanie Herrera of the Wolverines then missed a three-point shot as time expired to preserve a 45-42 win for the Totems.

All of this was in a game that may make a difference in the Seamount League Class 2A playoff picture when all is said and done.

Tyee came away with a 5-2 record and Evergreen fell to 6-4.

"Coming off an 0-16 season last year we're doing great," said Totems head coach Amanda Segerman.

Wolverines head coach Natasha Hicks expressed similar sentiments.
"It's a huge improvement over the last two years," she said. "We're coming together as a team."

Tyee normally has a roster of eight players.

"We've had some injuries," said Segerman of a Totems program that has no junior varsity team. "And we had a girl with a death in the family, so we had some issues there. I couldn't be more proud of how they played -- it was awesome."

"Tyee played hard, and the buckets wouldn't fall for us," said Hicks.

"We've got to learn to play through mistakes."

Zakeya Flowers led the Totems with 26 points, and fellow freshman guard and twin sister Zareya Flowers was next with 13. Bronna Abraham and Brooks added three apiece.

Junior forward/center Caroline Tupa tallied 23 to pace Evergreen. Maria Martinez and Cox added seven apiece. Tafaoga Lagerejos hit three, Jvonne H