Head Coach Kristina Schumacher discusses a game plan during the late stages of the dramatic overtime win against the Rogers Rams. The win marked the first victory for the Inglemoor girls program in the Tacoma Dome in nearly half a decade.
The girls basketball team’s last visit to the state tournament was four years ago, and on Feb. 14, they had a chance to return. However, heading into the half they trailed Lake Stevens 33-29.
Senior Jenna Troy said this game, in particular, was her favorite game of the whole season.
“It was a must-win game if we wanted to go to state. We went into halftime losing, but you could tell we wanted it more,” Troy said. “We went into the second half fighting for rebounds and sharing the ball better, and I think it really showed just how strong our team was.”
Following the 65-55 win over Lake Stevens, the girls basketball team was the seventh seed heading into regionals. A loss at Regionals put the Vikings in an elimination game against Rogers High School in round one of the state tournament (Feb. 27).
The game was back and forth the whole way, with the Vikings leading 30-28 at half, but Rogers fought back in the second half forcing overtime. In OT, the Inglemoor girls ran away with it, moving into the quarterfinals with a 65-54 victory.
Junior Lucy Young dribbles up the court through a Rogers defender in round one of state. The Vikings advanced with a 65-54 overtime victory.
Senior Erin Mackey complimented her team’s poise during their first game in the Dome.
“We won the [first] game just by playing our game,” Mackey said. “It was all about staying consistent even though everything looked and felt different.”
In the quarterfinals, the team met a tough match in the Eastlake Wolves (who would go on to win state). The Vikings took an early lead, but Eastlake turned up the intensity on defense forcing 16 turnovers, and after scoring 21 unanswered points, Inglemoor could never recover. The loss knocked them out of the winner bracket, ending all hopes of a state title.
“I think our mindset and attitude [against Eastlake] was different than normal, and we struggled with effective communication,” Mackey said, “that kind of messed with everyone’s ability to play how they normally do.”
Troy also commented on the difficulty of playing in the Tacoma Dome.
“The atmosphere and the court are so much different… It was a big adjustment that we had to make,” Troy said.
Sophomore Abby Haller goes up for an emphatic block around the rim. The IHS defense combined for seven blocks throughout the game.
There was a difference in the statistics as well, perhaps proving the effect of the change in scenery. The Vikings shooting percentage dropped 10 percent lower in state (from 37 percent down to 27 percent) and in terms of points per game, the team’s average fell from 57.2 down to 47.8.
“We were still able to play amazing defense, but we really struggled with our shooting,” Troy said.
As the season wraps up, the girls claimed 8th in the state tournament, the highest ranking for the program since 2015.
