In a matchup of teams brimming with confidence and momentum during this early stretch of the 2024-25 season, the Meadowdale Mavericks showed that experience can also play a key role in setting the tone for a big game.

With a roster that isn’t too far removed from last year’s squad, the Mavericks blitzed the Mountlake Terrace Hawks early and then coasted to a 59-35 win in a 3A Wesco League contest played Friday at Meadowdale High School.

The Mavs used a smothering press to force Terrace into making multiple mistakes and turning the ball over throughout the first half, resulting in a big 42-16 halftime advantage. And while the Hawks were able to handle the ball better in the second half, they were unable to overcome the big deficit and stop Meadowdale from picking up the team’s fourth victory of the season.

Mavericks’ senior Sam Medina credited first-year Meadowdale coach Benson Sims with bringing the press to the team and directing the squad into how it can be used to stymie an opponent.

“Coach Sims put that in,” Medina said. “It was hard, a little bit, at first but we got it. I feel we made the right reads today. We did foul a bit, but with the press I feel we did pretty good.”

Mountlake Terrace Coach Nick Starks said his squad was slow to react to the Mavs’ pressure and that it rattled his young squad (the Hawks played no seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen).

“Meadowdale is a great team,” Starks said. “They started four seniors, a group that has been together.They came out and got on us early and we turned the ball over.”

“Basketball is a game of confidence and if you don’t have it you’re kind of out of luck in some situations,” Starks added.

Meadowdale’s Audrey Lucas led all scorers in the game with 20 points, 14 in the first half. Jordan Wagner paced the Hawks (1-2 in 3A Wesco League South Conference play, 5-2 overall) with 12 points on Friday.

The win lifted the Mavericks’ overall record to 4-1, 2-0 in 3A Wesco League South Conference play. 

Medina not only liked the way her team played in the win over the Hawks on Friday but how they have adapted to the loss of the team’s leading scorer from the past two seasons, Gia Powell, to graduation. (Powell is now playing collegiate basketball at Brown University.)

“I feel like our chemistry has definitely gotten better and I feel that (after the) offseason, fall league, summer league, I feel like we definitely connected as a team,” Medina said. “We did lose Gia (Powell) but I feel that bringing Kyairra (Roussin, a transfer from Mariner), who has played hard, I feel we have adjusted pretty well.”

Just five games into the season, Medina already has her eyes on where the Mavs could be come March.

“I hope we can go to State (the WIAA state championship tournament); I feel like we could,” Medina concluded.

The Mountlake Terrace-Meadowdale girls’ game was the second of a boys/girls doubleheader played at Meadowdale High School on Friday. In the boys’ game, the Hawks squeaked by the Mavericks 59-56.

Prep Girls Basketball: Mountlake Terrace at Meadowdale, Dec. 20

Terrace   7   9   8 11 – 35

Meadowdale 23 19   8   9 – 59

Mountlake Terrace individual scoring: Jordan Wagner 12, Samiah Coffee 6, Makenna Davidson 5, Emma Schmidt 2, Iman Kaifa 2, Clara Loveless 4, Jaliyah Dyson 4, Jordan Stokes

Meadowdale individual scoring: Audrey Lucas 20, Sam Medina 8, Kyairra Roussin 8, Mia Brockmeyer 7, Payton Fleishman 7, Kylie Richards 5, Kaya Powell 3, Lexi Zardis 1, Kaiya Dotter, Lisa Sonko

Records: Mountlake Terrace 1-2 in 3A Wesco League South Conference, 5-2 overall; Meadowdale 2-0 in 3A Wesco League South Conference, 4-1 overall

Mountlake Terrace next game: versus Auburn Riverside; Thursday, Dec. 26; 5 p.m. at Kamiak High School

Meadowdale next game: versus Kings; Saturday, Dec. 21; 4 at Kings High School

— Story and photo by Doug Petrowski