By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Scoring has been hard to come by for the (2-5) Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks. Their average offensive output of 29 points per game can largely be explained by lack of chemistry due to multiple games of missing starters. It’s difficult to build a solid foundation of team cohesion when impact players aren’t getting the reps in games, let alone practices, that most any coaching staff could expect.
In addition, any hoop head of worth would also say low point totals are a direct symptom of cold hard bricks, or missed shots for the uninformed. Missed layups and missed free throws, in specific, can result in any team – high school, college, or professional – to suffer some offensive woes that can carry over from game to game.
On January 6, when the Lady Hawks travelled south to play Providence Classical Christian, they were at full strength and looking to make a statement in the new year. That’s not how things went, at least to begin with.
The 1st quarter was a brick fest by both teams. Seriously, the score was 0-0 five minutes in. After eight minutes of play, the Tulalip girls trailed 0-4 when finally, Raylee secured a well-positioned offense rebound and immediately shot and scored to give her team its first bucket. The quarter ended with a score of 2-4.
In the 2nd quarter, the Lady Hawks found their scoring ways, anchored by shooting guard Audrielle Mclean’s unconscious ability to shoot deep 3-pointers. She connected on three long range jumpers in the quarter to spark her team’s offensive fire power. After hitting nothing by nylon on her third made 3-pointer, Audrielle gave Tulalip their first and only lead of the game, 14-12.
At halftime, Lady Hawks assistant coach Tim Greene reflected on the first half. “We’ve missed a lot of layups and a lot of free throws (the girls missed 7 of their 8 free throw attempts). That part of the game is more mental than anything else. On the defensive side, I’ve liked the hustle they’ve shown. We need more of that energy across the board if we’re going to have a chance at winning. That and making our free throws.”
Skipping ahead to the middle of the 4th quarter, when Tulalip trailed 18-32 with only five minutes remaining, the Lady Hawks went full fight or flight mode…they chose fight. Getting into the bonus early meant they had to keep attacking to get easy scoring opportunities at the free throw line. The ball was hopping and the girls were rotating beautifully. Led by the always energetic and vocal Raylee, who was continuing to dive for every loose ball and battle for every rebound, she rallied her squad.
Point after point and bucket after bucket, the Lady Hawks slowly chipped away at their double-digit deficit until they got within just 5 points, 27-32, with two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Chants of “Defense!” even rang out from the Tulalips in the crowd. But like its been all season, defense wasn’t the issue, offense was. The girls just couldn’t buy the buckets necessary to complete the comeback. They ultimately took a 29-38 L.
After the spirited contest, Tulalip forward Raylee Lewis, the Lady Hawks leading scorer in the game and unofficial Miss Hustle award winner, shared, “We were all really frustrated with our play in that first half and in that 3rd quarter, but going into the 4th quarter our coaches told us we needed to shift our mindset. I think most of us heard that message loud and clear and did what we could make that shift. We upped our communication and our energy and you could see how much we feed off that kind of positivity. Even though we lost, there are things we can take away from this game, like continuing to play for one another and remaining positive.”