By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks basketball team was 16-0 with three regular season games remaining on our last check-in. Let’s recap those final three games.
On Tuesday, January 26, the girls traveled to Eastsound, WA to take on the Orcas Christian Saints. The Lady Hawks made quick work of the one-win Saints, winning 65-22.
Then on Friday, January 29, we welcomed the Grace Academy Eagles to our gym. It was a game the Lady Hawks had been preparing for, as the 2nd place Grace Academy are the only team in the Northwest 1B league who have given us a competitive game all season. This game also had significant meaning for senior Adiya Jones, as there were several college scouts and coaches in attendance to watch her performance versus a competitive program.
In the 1st quarter, the Lady Hawks came out primed for another blowout. They pounded the ball in the post and were able to convert on several shots at the rim, while making it very difficult for the Eagles to get quality shots up. At the end of the quarter the Lady Hawks led 18-8. But then the game tightened up. The Eagles went on an 8-0 to start the 2nd quarter, cutting the Lady Hawks lead to only 2 points, 18-16. Coach Bubba Fryberg called a timeout to get his team refocused on the game plan. From that point, the game turned into a typical Lady Hawks beat down.
A 15-4 run to close the 2nd quarter gave the Lady Hawks a 33-20 halftime lead. The entire 2nd half saw the Lady Hawks turn loose on offense and go to a whole new level defensively. It seemed liked nearly every Grace Academy pass was either stolen or deflected, to the point the Eagles looked completely out of sorts on offense. The Lady Hawks led 55-26 going into the 4th quarter. What was once only a 2 point game midway through the 2nd quarter turned into a 71-30 blowout victory for the 1st place Lady Hawks.
Adiya Jones, fully aware of the college scouts and coaches in the building, upped her game and had a game for the ages. She had a career high 18 steals, which is very impressive in its own right, but it gets even better. Adiya finished with her first ever quadruple-double stat line of 22 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 18 steals. For those who follow the NBA, there have been only five players in league history to ever achieve the super rare quadruple-double, the latest one being achieved by David Robinson back in 1994.
After the blowout victory over Grace Academy, the Lady Hawks were 18-0 and only had one final regular season game remaining. On Monday, February 1, the Lady Hawks hosted the Highland Christian Knights. This game doubled as Senior Night for senior players Kaenishia Herrera, Adiya Jones, Michelle Iukes, and Desirae Williams. Cheered on by their families and friends, the Lady Hawks went on to win 52-23 and finish the regular season undefeated at 19-0.
Next up for the Lady Hawks is the District 1B basketball tournament, where they will be going in as the #1 overall seed.
