by Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

There was a desire to win and a lead, early on, to support that desire, for the Seattle Lutheran girls basketball team, but a six-point lead midway through the second quarter for the Saints, crumbled, via a murderous third quarter of scoring for the foe, as, Tacoma Baptist came back to win, 51-29, on Monday.
The Saints dropped to 1-5 overall, but, 0-0 in the SeaTac B division, having yet to play a league game, with their first one of those against visiting Shoreline Christian on Jan. 3. Tacoma Baptist improved to 4-2, overall, this season, and, were 1-0 in it's division entering this non-league game versus the Saints.
The Saints' coach, Bruce Carlson, really didn't need to say too many words about this one, for in this game a picture could tell a thousand words. He used two time-outs in the second quarter to try and stop the bleeding, raising his hands in the air toward the Saints' girls on his team, all standing, in the huddle, watching. He was demonstrating what can only be said something like this: "Defense. Get your hands up when they are taking shots."

That's not exactly what Carlson spoke to his girls in time-outs, but, the conveyance of meaning was similar no doubt, as, he was, also, pointing at players, too, in timeouts, just, trying to calm them down, trying to tell them what was needed done. Trying to no avail.

But, as said earlier, the Saints', actually, started really strong in the game, and, despite only two seniors on the roster, were playing sound ball, and, led, 10-9, after the first quarter.

And, with junior, 5-6 forward, Emma Figgins, making a bucket to begin the second quarter, the Saints led, 12-9. The Crusaders scored, but, the Saints' scored, too, making it a 14-11 Saints' lead with six minutes left in the second quarter. So, so far so good, and, then, after a nice Saints' steal from a freshman, Izzy Jones, a 5-7 forward, showing quick hands on defense against the Crusaders half-court offense, it was the Saints' junior, 5-3 guard, Abby Sanders, getting the ball and she knocked down a three-point shot to stake her team to a 17-11 lead with 3:30 left in the second quarter.

Things were looking really good at this point for the private Christian school, home team, in West Seattle.
And, then, the Crusaders outscored the Saints, going into halftime, 8-3, so, the Crusaders led, 22-20, after the second quarter.

And, when things really fell apart for the Saints was the third quarter, everything going pretty well to that point, as, a two-point deficit, at halftime, is nothing to be worried about. But, a 17-point deficit with 4:00 left, still, in the third quarter of a basketball game, now, that is, definitely, something to be in fingernail biting mode, for a teams' fans, and, coaching, and, don't forget, players.

So, in the third quarter, as the clock went to 4:34, the Crusaders knocked in a basket that made it 30-20, and , with four minutes left in the third, a Crusaders player open outside the three-point arc let loose a long shot that sailed right through the net and made it, 37-20, foe.

"I think that we had the desire to win, we felt like we were playing well, ahead, in the beginning, but, I think, we took things for granted," said Sanders, who led her team with 15 points, and, hit a couple long-range, three shots, herself in this game, and, ran the point guard spot well, for the most part. A couple, three turnovers, but, mostly, it was what was aforementioned that hurt the Saints most, open players outside who would get shots off with no hands up in their face.

But, the final four minutes of the third quarter would only go from bad to worse for the Saints in this one, as, the Crusaders made it a 39-20 score, and, 41-20, before Sanders, with 1:00 left in the third quarter, stole the ball from the Crusaders' point guard, around mid-court. Then, Sanders dribbled to the three-point arc and let fly a shot that cut the lead to 41-23, Crusaders.

But, that was about the beginning and ending of highlights in this game, besides, the microcosm strong start for the Saints, leading early on. The third quarter was really hurtful, the Saints were outscored 21-3 in it. All the other quarters were compeitive, with the first quarter's 10-9, Saints' lead, and, the second quarter's 13-9, Crusaders, outscoring, and, the fourth quarter's 8-6 edge to the Crusaders.
So, one bad quarter was really all that this game boiled down too but it was a boil that was pain to the nth degree, however, for the Saints. Sanders knows what this team can, still, do this season, and, it's not over yet, not by a long shot. In fact, the Saints' league season doesn't even start until after the Christmas break that goes for two weeks now, with Jan. 3 against Shoreline Christian that game. So nothing hurt, as they say.

"We have the potential to win, but we need to get mentally tougher, and, we need to pull ourselves up in the third quarter," said Sanders."

Besides Sanders team-high 15 points, there wasn't much offensive support, but Jordan McFeely did score five points, and, Figgins, four, and, Taylor Stordahl, two. The Crusaders were led by Brooklyn Pascua with 16, and, Jennifer Brooks with 15.
The Saints dropped to 1-5, with it's first league game of the season against visiting Shoreline Christian on Jan. 3.