The Bainbridge Spartan boys found out why the Rainier Beach Vikings were rated as the top team in the nation earlier this season – and they found out the hard way.
The Vikings rolled into town Friday night with all the speed and abilities as advertised and defeated the Bainbridge hoopsters 88-23, before a spirited capacity crowd at Bainbridge High School gymnasium.
One of the last times in recent memory the Spartans faced a defending state champion team from Rainier Beach, Bainbridge shocked the Vikings with a win on the Seattle team’s home court.
That was with Spartan players like Mike Green, Chris Croker, Erik Wirth and Jamie Halligan. The year was 1989 – before any of the current Spartans even started school.
But there was no shock on the hardwood Friday night for the visiting Vikings as they combined a full-game, full-court press with blazing quickness and unmatched size to control Bainbridge.
Short lead
Bainbridge actually held a one-point lead at 5-4 on a bucket by Spencer Evans in the first minute of play – but the boys from the Beach went on a 27-0 tear in the next six minutes, and held a 31-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Lodrick Stewart led the Vikings with 10 first-quarter points, and finished the contest with a game-high 27 points. Lodrick and twin brother Rodrick Stewart, who pitched in 14 points for the game, are headed to the University of Southern California next year on basketball scholarships, and they showed the speed indicative of Division One college play.
And Rainier Beach is really far from a two-man team. Senior forward Anthony Perry, 6-3; sophomore forward Terrance Williams, 6-6; and junior post Chester Giles, 6-11; gave the Vikings a tough wall in the middle and nearly unstoppable inside game. To their credit, though, the Spartan boys scrapped hard throughout the game, hustling for several tough rebounds and loose balls in the contest.
While Bainbridge was able to cut the Viking output by over a third in the second quarter – to just 19 points – the Spartans themselves had trouble converting on the offensive end despite many open opportunities – more than the 7-point second-quarter tally would indicate.
The Vikings added to their 50-14 halftime lead and coasted to the win.
In the defeat, Bainbridge was led by Evans with 7 points, followed by James Toepel 6, Henry Guterson 2, Seth Jacobsen 2, Ross Maloney 2, Joe Picha 2, Kevin Hebner 1 and Mark Korsak 1.
Earlier in the week, Bainbridge dropped a 50-44 contest at Ingraham. Guterson led Bainbridge with 15 points while Evans dropped in 11.
The Sparts hosted Cleveland last night, and will be at Blanchet on Friday evening. Next Monday night, Bainbridge will host Nathan Hale in a makeup contest from the power-outage cancelled game earlier this month.
LRBMs
In a fast-paced nightcap to Friday’s varsity basketball doubleheader, the Bainbridge girls dropped a 54-35 game to the visit ing Rainier Beach squad.
Vikings Stephanie Mitchell and Jacqua Williams combined for 36 points – many from long range.
Rainier Beach vaulted out to a 14-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. Bainbridge was able to hold the Viking lead at around nine points through the first part of the second quarter before the visitors stretched the margin to 29-13 at the halftime break.
The Spartans pulled back the Viking lead to 14 points once in the second half, after Allie Picha converted on a basket at the beginning of the fourth quarter to make the margin 39-25. However, the Rainier Beach girls held their ground and took home the victory.
Bainbridge was led by the balanced scoring of Tiana Gallagher 8, Alice Russell 8, Haley Wiggins 7, Lee Maloney 6, Picha 4 and Morgan Zajonc 2.
At Ingraham on Wednesday night, Bainbridge defeated the Rams 45-38. Scoring for the Spartans in the win were Zajonc 18, Russell 13, Maloney 7, Picha 3, Toren Johnson 2, and Wiggins 2.
Bainbridge hosts Cleveland tonight, 7:30 p.m. varsity tipoff, and will be at Blanchet on Friday night.
