On Jan. 28, the shorthanded WCC Women’s Basketball team took on the Bellevue Bulldogs, looking to create a streak after a good win against Shoreline. The Orcas had a fight on their hands with the Bulldogs, and played a physical game throughout, never once showing a sign of exhaustion.
Rokesia Sands (5) kept the team’s energy the entire game – jumping onto any loose ball, any and all hustle plays she was involved with. Along with Jennifer Ruano (11), the two players demonstrated their intensity and physicality in every play.
The high scoring duo of Isla Kelly (0) and Laylah Kesee (1) also continued to show out, combining for 44 total points on the night – twenty points coming from Kelly and 22 points from Kesee. The duo also showed out on the rebounds – Kelly with seven and Kesee with nine.
Although the night ended in a loss for the Orcas, this combination of players resulted in a beautiful game of basketball – high intensity, quick basketball. The Orcas forced 18 total turnovers and out-scored the Bulldogs 44-36 in the second half, a great finish that indicates how the sky is the limit for this team as they continue their season.
We have this underdog mentality and that drives us,” said Coach McLendon after the game, referring to the loss of seven players early in the season. McLendon added that it “keeps our fight going. We are a scrappy group. We love each other, we pull for each other and that is what drove us in the second half. That simple fight.”
There is a line from NBA Hall of Famer Micheal Jordan: “I haven’t lost a game, I just ran out of time.” With this team, you can look at the stat sheet, see the score, but you won’t fully understand what this team is capable of until you go watch them yourself. They play the game correctly, never stopping running full speed until that final buzzer. In this game in particular, it certainly felt like these players didn’t lose, but rather ran out of time.
Can they keep the energy they ended with? Fans can travel south to Everett to find out tomorrow when they take on the Everett Trojans at 7 p.m.
