Lady Cruisers Battle Through Tough Week Against SPSL Opponents, Lavergne Records Double-Double
- Skip Smith
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Eatonville Lady Cruisers endured a challenging week in 2A SPSL League play, dropping a hard fought road game to Franklin Pierce before showing signs of growth and resilience in a loss to league leading Fife.
Eatonville came up short in its second meeting with Franklin Pierce, falling 47-36 on the road after another tight battle between the league opponents. The Cardinals had edged the Cruisers 41-39 earlier in the season, and once again the fourth quarter proved decisive.
The game was scoreless until the 5:14 mark of the opening quarter when Jordyn Green banked in a shot off the right side of the glass to get Eatonville on the board. Franklin Pierce answered with a 5-0 run, but back to back baskets by Dakota Montgomery and Savanna Price put the Cruisers back in front, 6-5, with 2:11 remaining. The teams traded buckets the rest of the way and finished the quarter tied 9-9, with Green scoring three points for Eatonville.
The Cardinals opened the second quarter with a 5-0 surge to take a 14-9 lead. Montgomery and Josie Lavergne answered with a free throw and a runner to cut the margin to two. Montgomery later came up with a steal and basket to tie the game at 14-14 midway through the quarter. Franklin Pierce briefly reclaimed the lead before Eatonville closed the half on a 4-0 run behind baskets from Montgomery and Morgan Laird, sending the Cruisers into the locker room up 18-16. Montgomery led Eatonville with five first half points.
Franklin Pierce opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run to go in front 25-20. Eatonville responded late, closing the period on a 6-2 run highlighted by a Jordyn Green half-court shot at the buzzer that banked in to pull the Cruisers within one, 27-26. Green scored five points in the quarter.
Eatonville briefly reclaimed the lead early in the fourth after forcing a turnover and getting a Josie Lavergne basket off a Sadie Mettler assist. The Cardinals countered with a 4-0 run, but Lavergne’s rebound and put back sparked a 6-0 Eatonville run that gave the Cruisers a 34-31 lead with four minutes remaining.
That advantage was short lived. Franklin Pierce dominated the final stretch, using a 12-6 rebounding edge in the quarter and forcing nine Eatonville turnovers to fuel a 16-2 closing run and seal the win.
Lavergne led Eatonville in scoring and finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and adding two blocked shots. Green contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and four steals. Montgomery provided a spark off the bench with six points, eight rebounds, and three steals.
The Lady Cruisers faced a daunting task Friday night against first place Fife, which entered the game undefeated in 2A SPSL play and had beaten Eatonville 60-16 earlier in the season.
Eatonville struggled early against the Trojan press, opening the game with three straight turnovers that helped Fife race out to a 15-0 lead. Morgan Laird broke the run with a pair of free throws at the 4:30 mark, sparking a brief 4-0 Cruiser run. Eatonville trailed 15-4 with 3:07 left in the quarter before Fife closed the period on a 15-2 run to lead 30-6. Eatonville committed 14 first quarter turnovers but went a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line.
The Cruisers opened the second quarter with renewed energy. A Josie Lavergne basket followed by a Morgan Laird three pointer capped a 5-0 run before Fife stopped the surge with a free throw at the 5:38 mark. Despite nine turnovers in the quarter, Eatonville doubled its first quarter scoring output, putting up 12 points. Laird led the way with six points on two three pointers. Eatonville also tightened up defensively, holding Fife to 15 points after allowing 30 in the first. Still, the Trojans took a 45-18 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was Eatonville’s best defensive stretch. The teams traded baskets throughout, and a Savanna Price free throw late allowed the Cruisers to edge Fife 10-9 in the period. Fife still held a commanding 54-28 lead heading into the fourth. Lavergne scored four points in the quarter as Eatonville forced five Trojan turnovers, more than in the first two quarters combined.
Fife opened the fourth with a 3-0 run, but Laird answered with a basket that sparked a 9-2 Eatonville run. The teams matched each other the rest of the way. A Dakota Montgomery steal and layup with 1:13 remaining capped the Cruiser scoring. Eatonville again limited Fife to nine points in the quarter while scoring 12 of its own, led by Lavergne and Green with three points apiece. The Cruisers also protected the ball better, committing just six turnovers in the period.
Despite losing the game and the turnover battle 46-15, Eatonville finished with a slight 40-36 rebounding advantage.
Lavergne led the Cruisers with 11 points, seven of them coming in the second half, and added four rebounds. Laird finished with 10 points, including two three pointers, and five rebounds. Delaney Livernash chipped in eight points and four rebounds. Green recorded six points, three steals, and a team high 10 rebounds.
The loss leaves Eatonville at 4-15 overall and 3-10 in 2A SPSL league play, with only a slim chance of advancing to the District 3 playoffs. The district tournament takes the top five teams from both the SPSL and Olympic leagues, with the final two spots awarded as at large selections by the seeding committee.
The Lady Cruisers could close out their season at home Monday, Feb. 9, when they host the third place Clover Park Warriors at Rainier Connect Arena for Senior Night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and a win would boost Eatonville’s chances of earning one of the final district playoff berths.
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