Lady Cruisers Clinch League Title, Finish Perfect in 2A SPSL
The Eatonville Lady Cruisers secured their first 2A SPSL League championship since 2010 with a hard-fought 51-43 victory over the second-place Fife Trojans on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at McCrossin Court. Eatonville then capped off its regular season with a dominant 71-38 win over Clover Park on Friday, Feb. 7, finishing with a perfect 14-0 league record.
The league title was a culmination of months of hard work, and head coach Deanna Andersen praised her team’s dedication.
“We all wrote goals at the beginning of the season and winning league was one of those,” Andersen said. “To see the girls work so hard and achieve that first goal fills me with pride.”
Coming off a 55-39 win in their first meeting, Eatonville knew Fife would be ready for the rematch. The Cruisers opened strong, despite nine first-quarter turnovers, using a 14-6 rebounding advantage to take a 10-2 lead. Hailey Hall led the early charge with six points.
The Trojans stormed back in the second quarter, opening with a 7-3 run and tying the game at 17 with 24 seconds remaining. Hall split a pair of free throws to regain the lead for Eatonville, and a Fife buzzer-beater was waived off due to a travel, keeping the Cruisers ahead 18-17 at halftime. Hall and Andersen led Eatonville at the break with seven points apiece.
Fife came out aggressively in the third quarter, scoring four straight points to take the lead at the 6:27 mark after a Cruiser turnover. However, Eatonville responded immediately with back-to-back baskets to reclaim the lead. The teams exchanged baskets throughout the period before Eatonville entered the bonus and capitalized at the free-throw line, closing the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 32-27 lead.
The Lady Cruisers turned up the pressure in the fourth, opening with a 10-2 run to extend their advantage to 42-29. Bailey Andersen fouled out with 2:23 left, and Fife took advantage, using free throws to go on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 47-38. Lillian Bickford also fouled out during that stretch, but Eatonville managed to hold off the late surge, sealing a 51-43 victory and the league title.
Andersen led Eatonville with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Tia Schanbeck recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Hall was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds, and Bickford added six points and 13 boards. As a team, Eatonville dominated the glass, outrebounding Fife 48-29.
“Fife was not an easy game,” Andersen said. “They were ready for us, and many things were not going our way, but every girl pulled her weight either in the game or from the bench, and we walked away with the title.”
Three days later, Eatonville traveled to Mel Ninnis Memorial Gym to take on Clover Park in their regular-season finale. The Cruisers wasted no time, scoring immediately off the opening tip. Hall grabbed the jump ball, passed to Andersen, who found Bickford under the hoop for an easy score. Clover Park's first possession ended in a quick turnover, setting the tone for the game.
Despite a sloppy first quarter with 11 turnovers apiece, Eatonville controlled the boards, outrebounding the Timberwolves 13-1 and building a commanding 24-6 lead. Bailey Andersen led the way with nine points, while Hall contributed six points and six rebounds.
Clover Park momentarily gained momentum with a steal and quick basket to start the second quarter, but Eatonville quickly responded. Andersen delivered a bullet pass inside to Hall, who finished with a layup. The teams traded baskets until the Cruisers closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 43-16 lead. Hall notched a double-double by halftime, leading all scorers with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Eatonville continued to dominate in the second half, opening the third quarter with a 9-0 run while forcing nine Clover Park turnovers. The defensive effort helped extend their lead to 61-24 entering the final period. Morgan Laird led the Cruisers with six points in the third.
Clover Park capitalized on three straight Eatonville turnovers to start the fourth, scoring three quick points. However, the Cruisers settled in and responded with a 5-0 run, sparked by a long Schanbeck pass to Bickford for a layup. The Timberwolves outscored Eatonville in the quarter, thanks to a 12-8 rebounding edge, but the deficit was too large to overcome, and the Cruisers closed out a 71-38 victory.
Hall led Eatonville with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Andersen added 16 points, eight assists, five steals, and four rebounds. Jordyn Green contributed nine points and four steals, while Bickford, Alayna Meyer, Miley King, and Laird each added six points. Schanbeck finished with five steals, five assists, and two blocks despite scoring only three points.
With a perfect 14-0 league record, Eatonville now shifts its focus to the District 3 playoffs. The tournament will feature the top five teams from the SPSL and Olympic leagues, along with two at-large selections. The district seeding committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 12, to determine the 12-team bracket.
Eatonville is expected to receive a top-two seed, competing with Bainbridge (the Olympic League champion) for the No. 1 spot. The top four seeds will earn first-round byes and host second-round games.
If the Lady Cruisers secure a top-four seed, they will host their first playoff game on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Rainier Connect Arena at Eatonville High School. Game time and opponent are yet to be announced.
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