Due to a misprint on the schedule, the Lakes girls basketball team showed up to the gym five minutes before the game was supposed to start Friday, thus delaying tip-off by about half an hour.
Prairie made sure to do its part to make up the time.
Forcing a running clock for the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Falcons pummeled Lakes 72-29 in the 3A bi-district tournament quarterfinals at Hudson’s Bay High School.
The win clinches a regional playoff berth for the Falcons (21-1).
Jackie Lanz led Prairie with 21 points while knocking down five 3-pointers.
The junior said her confidence from the outside had been lacking, but that extra time in the gym combined with the game she had Friday has helped to restore that self-belief.
“It felt really good,” Lanz said. “I haven’t been as accurate lately as I wanted to be, but (Prairie coach) Al (Aldridge) has done a good job of keeping my confidence high by making sure I get extra shots in practice. And I wouldn’t have been able to get some of those shots today without some great passes.”
Senior Heather Corral has also been trying to adjust over the past few days, but for different reasons entirely.
The University of Washington-bound guard tore cartilage in her left knee a week and a half ago and is still adapting to wearing a knee brace.
Does she feel as mobile as she did before the injury? Not quite. But she said she is improving every day.
“I can tell sometimes that I’m not as fast,” said Corral, who scored 12 points off the bench, “but it (the knee) feels a lot better than it did when I first hurt it.”
The Falcons jumped out to a 20-5 lead in the first quarter and were never threatened. The only slight hiccup came in the third quarter, when they were held to nine points.
Prairie, who also got 15 points from point guard Cori Woodward, will next play Saturday against Timberline at Clover Park in Tacoma.
PRAIRIE 72, LAKES 29
LAKES — Not available.
PRAIRIE — Lindsay Asplund 3, Cori Woodward 15, Heather Corral 12, Kelsey Asplund 4, Nicole Goecke 2, Emily Peters 2, Megan Lindsley 8, RAndrea Smith 5, Jackie Lanz 21. Totals 28 (7) 9 FTs 72.
Lakes 8 11 9 1–29
Prairie 20 20 9 23–72
