Hitting the road on Wednesday, Feb. 8, the Bellevue women’s basketball team headed to Skagit Valley to take on the Cardinals who were undefeated in league play and had previously handed the Bulldogs their only league loss of the season. The game would prove to be the most important contest of the league season for Bellevue so far, and it would take place on the road in Mt. Vernon in the midst of SVC territory.
The Bulldogs got off to a great start in the game and showed they were ready to play, with all the earmarks that this would be a very different contest than the 75-67 loss to the Cardinals in early January. Bellevue’s head coach Brent Hermanson said, “Unfortunately, we didn’t show up when playing at home against Skagit the first time, and found ourselves down 20 at the half, so clearly we emphasized getting off to a good start in this game.” The Bulldogs listened and responded well, taking a 41-33 lead into the half.
Bellevue continued on a roll, shooting 59.4% in the second half and extending their lead for an eventual 82-69 win. “It was our most complete effort of the season,” said Hermanson. “I was really impressed with how hard we played the entire game.” Brittany Barrington with 24 points and six rebounds led the Bulldogs in scoring, followed by TyShana Burgess with 21, and Taylor Wofford shot 12, including six from beyond the arc. “Every game against Skagit is a big game, they’ve won the division for at least the last four years since I’ve been here, and winning our division is something we strive for every year,” said Hermanson.
On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Bulldogs hosted the North Seattle Storm. The game with North Seattle is always a big game as Bellevue and Seattle recruit a lot of the same players, and many know each other from high school and AAU in the summer. The Bulldogs started off well and, with impressive defense play, closed the first half with a 30-19 lead. In the second half, Bellevue extended the lead to earn an eventual 71-43 victory over the Storm. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Burgess with 18 points and nine rebounds, Jordyn Ohrt shot 13, Wofford netted 12, and Sanda Milovic had 10.
Next up, the Bulldogs (10-1, 18-4) go back on the road to first take on the Orcas of Whatcom (9-3, 14-8) on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. in Bellingham, then Saturday, travel to Edmonds for a 5 p.m. game against the Tritons (0-11, 0-19). Every game is critical for the Bulldogs to hold their standing in the North region, and fan support is appreciated!