By Gerardo Bolong
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

FEDERAL WAY - Man-to-man pressing tactics finally forced the issue inside the Decatur High School Gymnasium in the visiting Seamount 2A Highline Pirates' unlikely 45-38 non league girls basketball win against the home Gators on Mon., Dec. 15.

This strategy was actually made expedient due to unsuccessful zone press tactics.
"The zone press was not good," said Pirate head coach Darrin Stolz. "We don't shoot well, but when the ball started going through the hoop, the girls got excited. We hit a couple of threes and just kept going."
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Highline (Burien) had scored one standard field goal at the beginning of the stanza. The Gators quickly matched it and led 33-25 (the biggest lead of the game) with just more than five minutes left in regulation play.

Enter 5-feet, 2-inch freshman Britney Kinney who had not scored in the game up to now.
Without hesitation, Kinney swished a corner 3-pointer to ignite Highline's winning rally. Thalia Perez followed with an inside basket before Kinney drained a right side 3-pointer to tie the score at 33-33 as 4:02 showed on the scoreboard clock. One minute later, Olivia Beckham knocked home a running bank shot 3-pointer that sent the Pirates into a 36-33 lead - their first lead since an 18-17 advantage with 2:13 until halftime.

"We were a little nervous," said Kinney. "When I hit he first 3-pointer, the score added to our motivation to win."

Kinney closed with nine fourth quarter points - her entire total.
Madison Kelly then rebounded a Gator air ball shot that set HHS up for a Perez lay up with 2:35 left. Decatur converted a free throw that was countered by a Tupua rebound basket for a 40-34 Pirate command.

As the minutes and seconds wound down, another Tupua inside field goal offset a Gator free throw and the Pirates led 42-35. Decatur closed within 42-38, but there were less than 22 seconds remaining, in which time HHS converted 3 of 4 free throws to close out the triumph. Another help to the Pirates besides creating turnovers was Decatur's 4 for 12 charity line shooting in the final quarter, although Highline was only 4 for 12 in the same period. Beckham created many turnovers along with her teammates to manufacture the key element to victory.

The game did not get off to the swiftest of starts, though. Both teams meandered through the first half on countless turnovers. The offensive plans improved with the Gator establishing a 15-10 second quarter margin that the Pirates erased for a 15-15 draw. By halftime, Decatur led 19-18.
"We were a little uncomfortable," said Tupua, who led all scorers at 13 points. "I play to win for my sister, Elizabeth, who couldn't play this year because of a torn ACL."

Behind strong offense by Makayla Lambert and a Marissa Johnson 3-pointer, the Gators built 30-23 lead after three quarters, leading in to the fourth quarter HHS comeback.
"In the third quarter, the girls were not getting to the ball quickly on offense and defense," observed coach Stolz.
Beckham was a terror on dense, but also scored 10 HHS points. Perez finished with seven.
For Decatur, Lambert led on 11 points. Johnson earned nine points and Marquisha Greene added eight.