State Playoffs: Lake Stevens Suffocates Bothell with Swarming Defense, Superstar Performances

Vikings now face the top seed and defending champion Davis Pirates at 10:30 Thursday morning in Tacoma with a trip to the semis on the line.

TACOMA — The Lake Stevens Vikings (21-3) are moving on to the state quarterfinals after an impressive win against KingCo-power Bothell, and the only barrier between the Viks and a trip to the state semifinals is top seed Davis, the defending state champion who hasn’t lost to an in-state team in over a year.

But after today, the top-ranked Pirates may feel a bit of unease as they consider entering battle with the 21-3 Vikings.

Lake Stevens Powers Past Bothell in Complete Performance

Riding a dominant fourth quarter and a commanding presence in the paint, the No. 10 seed Lake Stevens girls basketball team outlasted the No. 7 seed Bothell Cougars 55-48 in the Class 4A round of 12 on Wednesday morning at the Tacoma Dome.

The victory sets up a daunting Thursday morning clash. Lake Stevens will tip off at 10:30 a.m. against the defending state champion and No. 1 overall seed Davis Pirates.

Against Bothell, the Vikings set the tone with a suffocating defense and relied heavily on the dynamic backcourt duo of Keira Isabelle Tupua and Noelani Tupua for offense.

Keira, a senior, poured in a team-high 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds, while junior Noelani stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. (Full box score provided at bottom of post.)

The Viking defense choked off Bothell’s ability to score efficiently, holding the Cougars to 26.5% shooting (13/49) for the game and a paltry 18% in a second half in which the Viks allowed just four made field goals on 22 attempts.

Lake, by comparison, shot a healthy 45% on the game with both of its star scorers converting at …

(Full game story, video highlights, box score and full preview of tomorrow’s game vs top ranked Davis after the jump.)