Shorecrest Boys swamp Shorewood, 85-52 in Hoopapalooza

Thunderbirds Naode Mehari, #2 ,Thomas Hundhausen #25 and
Scots Steven Lin #40, and Dagmawe Menelik track the loose ball.
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Hoopapalooza

1-28-2017 Boys' Basketball

Shorecrest gym

Shorecrest 85 - Shorewood 52

The last thing the Shorecrest boys basketball team needed was an extra emotional edge just before tipoff when they hosted their cross-town rivals Shorewood at Hoopapalooza Saturday night.

Kat Rodriguez brought down the house
with her rendition of the National Anthem
Photo contributed

But they got one anyway when senior Kat Rodriguez belted out an inspiring rendition, the best rendering of The Star Spangled Banner since Whitney Houston sang it at the 1991 Super Bowl.

With that added boost, the high-flying Scots spurted to a 27-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and were headed on their way to a convincing 85-52 win over the T-Birds.

Scots' coach Brian Fischer was able to empty his bench in the second half with the Scots holding a commanding 45-16 halftime lead.

Senior captain Steven Lin said after the game, "Right now our team is really finding good chemistry with one another and playing solid basketball, and it's always a plus to do so during a rivalry game." 

Lin, who epitomizes the Scots' unselfish play went on. "It just feels likes there's something extra to play for whenever it's our cross-town rival."

Shorewood coach George Edwards had to be proud of how his outmanned team scrapped in the second half, nearly playing the powerful Scots even in the final sixteen minutes.

Highlander Philip Pepple, a junior, goes for the dunk.
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

But it was too much Phillip Pepple and Malcolm Rosier-Butler early, as they combined for 25 of the Scots' first half points.

The T-Birds finish off the season with road games next Tuesday and Friday at Arlington and Marysville-Getchell before hosting Snohomish on Senior Night, Monday February 6, 2017.

The Scots (8-1, 16-1) host Snohomish Tuesday and Arlington on Friday, their Senior Night. Monday the 6th they'll travel to face Stanwood, which is undefeated (9-0) in league play.

Full information can be found here

Shorewood 4 12 16 20 52
Shorecrest 27 18 20 20 85

SW - Mekonen 1; Mehari 3; Ishkanov 2; Hammer 15; Johnson 14; Ordona 5; Hundhausen 7; Santos 2; Vojnikovic 3.

SC - Rosier-Butler 18; Lee 12; Menelik 7; Steele 2; Camara 6; Acker 9; Mosley 11; Lin 4; Pepple 16.

--Frank Workman

View other game photos by Wayne Pridemore