By Quint Turner

During the Meadowdale Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak, the basketball games seemed to follow a pattern. The Mavs would put up 20-25 points in one quarter, add 15 points and then start cruising. Tonight, on the last day of the Coaches vs. Cancer fund, the Mavs played a full 32 minutes, as Dylan Buck scored 20 points and the Mavs rolled over the Lynnwood Royals, 63-40.

The first quarter started with each side playing a slow-paced game of possession shooting, and for a while it looked pretty even. Both teams got 6-0 runs to keep the game tied until around four minutes to go in the quarter, when Dylan Buck and the Mavs defense started to outwork the Royals. The Mavs were able to get an 11-0 run, led by hard work and rebounding skills, to take an 11-6 lead at the end of the quarter.

The second was more even. The Royals came out strong as the man-to-man D forced six turnovers, and they would go on a 10-0 run to come within three points of the Mavs. It looked like the Royals had the momentum, but they couldn’t get the rebounds. The Mavs were able to win the tough, down-low physical battles necessary to keep them up. Buck had 12 key points in the half as the Mavs went into the locker room up 28-21.

The third was where Meadowdale killed Lynnwood. In fact, the Mavs out-hustled, outworked, and just outplayed the Royals throughout the entire second half. The Royals missed shots with all the pressure in their face, as their gambits on 3s didn’t really reward them.

Going into the fourth, the Mavs were up 44-26, and they dominated the final quarter as well. Surprisingly, they didn’t do it on  defense, but on offense, as they scored 19 for  a 63-40 win. Meadowdale had three points from Taylor England, a call-up from JV, who hit a 3-pointer with about two minutes to go, much to the crowd’s delight.

The play that summarized the game was when Spencer Linton forced a turnover, came down the side and went up for a layup as David Headley of the Royals rushed back, then had an uncontested shot when Headley didn’t go up with him. The dunk on an alley-oop from Torin Dooley to Tyce Tallman sealed the deal. The Mavericks restart their winning streak — at 1.

Meadowdale scoring: Spencer Linton 12, Matt Hirsch 2, Tyce Tallman 5, Sean Hennessey 9, Torin Dooely 7, Dylan Buck 20, Sam Hong 5, Taylor England 3

Note: Tonight’s game marked the end of the Coaches vs. Cancer fund, a competition between Meadowdale and Lynnwood to see who could raise the most money for the American Cancer Society in 10 days.  The Mavericks won, collecting $1,500. Lynnwood raised $400.

Sports contributor Quint Turner is a student at Meadowdale High School.