The Dolphins cannot overcome slow start as Eagles grind out victory

Photo by Wilson Tsoi

By Drew Raher

Northwest Indian College built a 39-24 halftime lead on the shoulders of Krista Colvin and Jolene Nagy who combined to score 27 of the 39 first half points as the Eagles held on late for a 66-60 victory.

The Dolphins spotted the Eagles a 30-15 lead midway through the opening period in large part due to their inability to keep the Northwest Indian back court out of the painted area. Colvin and Nagy were able to penetrate through the 2-3 zone defense of Shoreline quite consistently in the first half, leading to a number of easy scoring chances.

Genia Taylor (So, Kirkland, WA) kept the Dolphins a float in the first half as she performed solidly leading the way with five points and five rebounds. Justice Perry (Fr, Skyway, WA) also contributed offensively going two of three from the floor en route to four first half points and three boards.

Northwest Indian College used aggressive penetration and timely transitional opportunities to force their way to the free-throw line where they successfully knocked down 13 of 16, which was the real difference statistically in the opening stanza.

The Dolphins though as they have all season long would not go away lightly. Bianca Benavides (So, Tukwila, WA) scored the first four points out of the gate for either club and gave Shoreline some hope that they could get back into the ball game. The next few minutes would see both teams teeter back and forth, but the Eagles would maintain a comfortable cushion till midway through the second period.

As the half neared completion Benavides tried willing her team back into the contest as she knocked down perimeter jumpers on three consecutive trips down the court. Shoreline would end up a few possessions short when the final whistle blew, but they battled during the second half, something that head coach Darnellia Russell can build off of as the second half of Northern division play ramps back up this weekend in Everett.

Nagy and Colvin were too much down the stretch as they combined for 47 of the 66 points scored by the Eagles on the night.

Benavides played the entire 40 minutes tallying 17 of her season-high 21 points in the second half as she tried desperately to stage a Dolphins comeback. Taylor also sported double-figure totals with 13 points and added eight rebounds.

Shoreline Community College (3-13, 1-6) will head to Everett Saturday to continue NWAACC play as the conference slate resumes. The Dolphins will look to improve on their results from last time they played Everett, which ended in a 69-44 defeat at home.

Stat of the Night: Bianca Benavides scored a season-high 21 points, bumping her season average to just under 10 points per game. Benavides also ranks in the top 10 in assists and has logged over 32 minutes a contest.

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