On Feb. 15, Bellevue College women’s basketball team proved that they were playoff-ready in a dominant win over the Shoreline Dolphins. The Bulldogs led by as much as 36 points in the fourth quarter and, with the help of Sutara who got 11 rebounds off the glass, the ‘dogs were able to out-rebound Shoreline 52-to-25. The final score against Shoreline’s small roster of eight players was 90-54.
To kick off the game, freshman guard Rokki Brown nailed a 3-point jump shot, giving the ‘dogs an early lead. From then on, the Bulldogs consistently added on to the lead and shot as high as 60% in the first. After a jump shot from Bulldog guard Addy Clabby, Clabby followed up with a 3-pointer to extend the score to 15-6 late in the first quarter. After scoring drives from guard Dakota Laut, Dominique Bungay, and Kate Rutledge, Bellevue finished the first quarter up by 15.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs got off to a slow start, giving up points from turnovers. However, after a timeout, Bellevue hit the ground running. Bulldogs guard Makenna Faulkner, with the help of small-forward Amanda Luckett and guard-forward Kaylie Bracy, scored on back-to-back offensive possessions. Bellevue amplified their defensive pressure and, as a result, were able to score six points from Shoreline’s turnovers. Luckett scored six points in less than one minute to increase the lead to 46-26 by the end of the second quarter.
Extending the Bulldogs double-digit lead, guard-forward Natalie Amos and Luckett got the ‘dogs going early in the third. Throughout the quarter, whenever Shoreline scored, Bellevue answered back with great ball movement and defense. Bulldog point-guard Kylan Hernandez found her rhythm as she sank a 3-point jump shot and followed up with two points. Excelling offensively, Rutledge’s consecutive 3-pointers and the team’s rebounds on both ends, resulted in Bellevue leading by 71-43 going into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the ‘dogs bench got to work. In three minutes, Bracy drew fouls and scored five points as a result of mishaps in Shoreline’s defense. The ‘dogs reserves were able to close out the game with a double-digit lead. The final score was 91-54.
Every Bulldogs’ player contributed to Bellevue’s dominant win over Shoreline. In the entirety of the game, there was not one lead change due to the ‘dogs playing great basketball. Clabby finished with 13 points and six assists and Luckett left the court with 13 points and six rebounds. The bench scored a total of 41 points, which was led by Rutledge and Sutara. In addition to the ‘dogs second chance opportunities, 24 assists and 17 points scored off of turnovers inevitably led to Shoreline visiting the pound.
Bellevue College women’s basketball is now 8-3 (15-6 overall) in the Northwestern League, tied with Peninsula. The Bulldogs will travel to Edmonds Community College where they will take on Edmonds for the last time this season. With the NWAC Championships around the corner, the ‘dogs will look to take the win on the road and come back home to play Olympic College and Everett. The match-up is scheduled for Feb. 19.
