By Anastasia Stepankowsky

The Chief Sealth Ladyhawks played Seattle Prep to a five-point loss earlier this season, but that game was no harbinger of Tuesday’s playoff game. The Panthers dominated most of the way in a 69-39 win.

“I think we got one shot to their four each time down the floor. … It’s really hard when the girls who normally contribute to the scoreboard aren’t touching the ball,” said Chief Sealth head coach Katie Jo Maris.

The Ladyhawks got a standout game from freshman Miya Spry, who played up from the JV squad and netted 15 points. But the Panthers shut down Chief Sealth’s most potent weapons — Allison Hadaway and Oshae Walker, who only played sporadically throughout the game. And the Ladyhawks simply had no answer to the rebounding of Seattle Prep’s Chinwe Ezeonu, who scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the game.

“We make mistakes every game, but we know what the mistakes are and we all work hard and we all keep going,” Spry said.

The Panthers shot out to an early lead 11-2, the lone bucket for the Ladyhawks coming from a lay-up by Walker. With Spry substituting for Walker, Chief Sealth closed the gap to three points by the end of the first quarter. But that was as close as they came, and the Panthers slowly pulled away. By halftime, the Ladyhawks trailed, 38-18.

“I just feel my starters weren’t as prepared to play as theirs were — or even their entire bench. They all came out hot tonight, and we just couldn’t get it together,” Maris said.

Maris substituted liberally in the second half, and the second-stringers managed to find some holes in the Prep defense. But there was no way to adjust or substitute around Prep’s superior shooting, rebounding and energy.

Chief Sealth could return all but two team members next year, and Maris is optimistic about the talent the team has in its younger ranks.

“I always believe in next season regardless of the girls I have, but I believe we have a group of girls that, if they put in the work in the offseason, can come back as one of the top teams in Metro next season,” Maris said.