Everett, WA – Women's hoops returned to the Walt Price Center for a date with rivals from up north, Skagit Valley College. After a tough road loss on Saturday to Peninsula College, the Trojans looked to bounce back at home, still holding on to a one game lead over Skagit Valley for 4th place in the north region standings. A win over Skagit Valley would give EvCC the inside track in the race for the NWAC playoffs.
The Cardinals faced an uphill battle with a limited roster due to COVID protocols and only six players suited up. But they still had four of their top 5 scorers in the lineup and much to play for. Skagit opened up in a 1-2-2 zone that created some difficulty on the offensive end for the Trojans in the opening minutes of the first quarter falling behind 8-2, but EvCC battled back to take a 13-12 lead by the end of the first quarter buzzer. Seven Everett turnovers hindered a more productive offensive quarter, but the defense played well forcing 5 turnovers of their own and holding SVC to 0-5 from beyond the arc with pressure on every shot.
Skagit Valley continued a variety of defensive looks in the 2nd quarter and Everett's solid pressure man to man didn't allow either offense to really settle in for the first five minutes. The Trojans eventually got a balanced scoring attack going as six different players scored in the quarter, putting up another 13 points while holding Skagit to just 9, on just 4 of 17 shooting. Everett went into the half with a 26-21 lead and Maddie Thoma as the leading scorer with 8.
The Trojans caught fire to open up the second half, and built out to as much as an 18-point lead on three made three-point field goals and another three two-point field goals. On the defensive end, Everett held Skagit to just two made field goals through nearly seven minutes of action. Everett closed out the quarter on a 6-2 run in the final three minutes, outscoring the Cardinals 21-8, and taking a 47-29 lead going into the final quarter.
With the sizeable lead, Everett put the game on cruise control in the 4th quarter. The fatigue started to really set in for SVC and Everett won going away 63-39. As a team the Trojans shot a season high 46.3% from the floor and played one of their best defensive performances holding Skagit to under 30% from the floor. Maddy Thoma led all scorers coming off the bench, scoring 19 to set a new career high and shot 7 of 12. Three other Trojans scored in double figures, Sydney VanNess (13), Courtney Perry (12), and Mikail Montez (10).
The win gives Everett a two-game cushion over Skagit in the standings and puts them in the driver seat approaching the 2nd half of the season. The last team to play will be the red-hot Whatcom Orcas who currently sit in first place. That game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12th at 2pm.