GBB: Everett outlasts late Lake rally - Gulls 51 Vikings 48 (Final)

Lake Stevens sees a 31-19 halftime lead melt away into a big deficit before late 4Q rally makes it close

🏝Kev 🏄🏻‍♂️ 🇺🇸 🇪🇹 @425Kev

Perla Ruiz had a late flurry of points to pull the Vikings within reach late.

Lake’s electric Senior Guard Perla Ruiz had 17 including seven in the final 4:01 — and Senior G Ella Edens added eight — but the Vikings (3-2) let go of a 31-19 halftime lead and lost 51-48 in front of a loud home crowd on Band Alumni night in Lake Stevens Friday.

The Gulls (2-3) were led by Alana Washington, a slick 6’1 Senior G/F who went for 15 in the second half and 22 on the night.

🏝Kev 🏄🏻‍♂️ 🇺🇸 🇪🇹 @425Kev

Band alumni night was about like you’d think. Good times.

After leading by 13 going into half, the Vikings managed just five third quarter points — to the Seagulls 19 — and Everett opened up a ten-point fourth quarter lead.

Perla Ruiz checked back in after a brief rest at the 4:01 mark, with Everett leading 47-38, and that’s when the Vikings launched a furious rally.

Nisa Ellis (7 points on the night) immediately gathered a defensive rebound and led Ruiz on a signature full court sprint with a half court outlet triggering a drive through the paint.

The diminutive sprinter was clobbered on a lay-in attempt, earning a trip to the line where she converted.

Side note: Ruiz darting past much bigger, slower competition is a reoccurring theme. It often ends with the hummingbird-like guard getting smacked down by opponent fouls that border on misdemeanor assault. (Earlier this week, an opponent kneed her in the head and toe-kicked her right in the face. So I guess that would be felony assault.)

Ruiz stayed on the floor maybe as long as six or seven seconds after getting flopped on, kneed in the head and toe kicked in the face by the Issaquah guard, who didn’t respond well to on the ball pressure. Photo from Tuesday by KTH/J425.

Anyway, from there Lake held Everett without a FG, the Gulls eked out four from the line as the Vikings got nine combined from Ellis and Ruiz.

Ellis converted what turned out to be the Vikings final field goal on a hard drive to the rack with :29.9 left, bringing Lake within one.

🏝Kev 🏄🏻‍♂️ 🇺🇸 🇪🇹 @425Kev

Nisa Ellis’ driving layup cut it to 1 with :29.9 sec left.

With Gulls leading 49-48, Lake earned two trips to the line but were unable to convert four straight free throws, any one of which would’ve knotted the score.

Alana Washington then made two free throws for Everett.

And that’s how the Vikings found themselves trailing by three with the ball and 8.8 left.

Junior G Kamryn Wenz (5 pts) found Ruiz right elbow extended beyond the three point line. Ruiz drove hard left into a step back three, releasing as the buzzer sounded.

🏝Kev 🏄🏻‍♂️ 🇺🇸 🇪🇹 @425Kev

…and after the Seagulls hit a pair Perla Ruiz shook free into a step back 3 for the tie as time expired. The Everett defender got an arm tangled between Perla’s on the release & the shot fell short, but ref swallowed the whistle as buzzer sounded. Everett 51 LS 48 F. @J425BABY

The Everett defender lodged an arm in between Ruiz’s and the shot fell short.

The referee looked at Lake coach Randy Edens and shrugged as if to say “I got a dinner reservation what did you expect, overtime?”.

The Vikings moved to 3-2. They play Saturday at 6-0 Kentridge.

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