By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
It was another inter-tribal battle on the hardwood when the Lummi Nation Blackhawks journeyed south to take on the Tulalip Hawks on Thursday, January 4. Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium reached near full capacity as family, friends, and casual hoopheads filled the bleachers to witness a rivalry renewed.
First up, the girls. It was an extremely rough start for the Ladyhawks as their two primary ballhandlers both left the game in the 1st half with apparent injury. Their massive production void was evident in the 5-36 halftime score.
Focusing on their increased opportunity to initiate the offense and play-make, senior Kendra McLean and sophomore Lilly Jefferson didn’t pay much attention to the score in the second half. Instead, they opted to embrace their love of the game and do their best to score against their well-known rivals.
In one remarkable sequence, the 5-foot-2-inch Lilly managed to post up much bigger Lummi players to score three consecutive buckets. After each one, the home crowd got progressively louder with their enthusiastic cheering. Her moment’s crescendo was akin to a 180˚ fade-a-way that found its way through the nylon net, followed by an eruption of eager onlookers.
Kenda also had a mesmerizing moment when, after just hitting her first 3-pointer of the game, she summoned her inner Steph Curry by casually pulling up from five feet behind the arc and drained another deep ball. As the crowd applauded, Kendra and Lilly high-fived one another while beaming gigantic smiles.
“The other tribal schools are our biggest competitors and bring out the biggest crowds. That’s extra motivation to bring our best game,” shared Kendra post-game. “After I saw that first 3 go in, I thought to myself ‘I got to make a couple more’. Even though we were down, our team doesn’t give up.”
“I knew this game was going to be nerve-racking in the beginning because I have cousins who play for Lummi and we had so much family here watching. Throughout the game, I just had the mindset to keep pushing myself and try to play my best,” added Lilly.
The Lady Hawks may have ultimately lost, 22-64, but anyone who caught that 2nd half display of basketball purity left a winner.
Next up, the boys. The (10-1) Blackhawks were riding a 10-game winning streak. During the win streak, Lummi had won every single one of those games by 10+ points. Meanwhile, the 5-4) Hawks were coming off a 42-point thrashing of Shoreline Christian and were in the mood for a huge upset W over their rivals from up north.
The upset dreams were quickly dashed as Lummi executed their offense and defense in an impressive fashion. They forced one Tulalip turnover after another in the early going, and punished the smaller Hawks players in the paint whenever possible. When the reality setting 1st quarter came to an end, the home team trailed 9-33.
Tokala BlackTomahawk showed his shooting touch by connecting on three 3-pointers and an acrobatic layup to lead his team in scoring with 11 points. Ponciano Guzman kept attacking the basket in the 2nd half to chip in 10 points. Despite their efforts, Tulalip lost 33-72. The 33 points was a season-low scored by the Hawks.
“Our focal point will continue to get better and improve our execution on both ends,” said head coach Shawn Sanchey. “Obviously, we want to stay healthy and play smart to take care of our bodies and avoid lingering injuries, but it’s equally important to develop the discipline it takes to put in the hard work necessary to reach our goals. Applying pressure, using our speed and physicality, and keeping mentally prepared for any opponent we may face going forward are the keys to us making a playoff push.
“At the end of the day, these rivalry games are about enjoying the moment,” continued the Heritage alum. “Like I shared with the boys, these rivalry games are the ones they’ll remember most after their high school days are over. The crowd, the energy, there’s nothing like the feeling of playing in these games.”
Tulalip will host two more fellow tribal schools later this month. Saturday, January 13, when the Neah Bay Red Devils come to town and Saturday, January 27, when the Taholah Black Bears make their journey here.