Chargers pummel Thunderbirds

The Marysville Getchell girls basketball team hosted the Shorewood Thunderbirds on Jan. 27 as they look to fight for a late postseason push.

It was a slow opening quarter for both teams as they were unable to convert close shots and neither team was able to create space to make plays. The Chargers used their size inside to create second-chance points but by the end of the first were only able to score four, trailing the Thunderbirds' five points. In the second quarter, Shorewood had trouble keeping Marysville Getchell out of the paint and had to make up for it in the passing lanes as they created a handful of turnovers. Even with a few bad passes, the Chargers continued to dominate on the boards as they tied with the Thunderbirds 7-7 in the quarter. Shorewood entered the halftime with a slight lead of 12-11.

The Thunderbirds came out in the second half on a quick 5-2 run to put them ahead by their largest margin of the night, 17-13. After slowly falling further behind, Marysville Getchell began to create space along the arc and take aggressive shots. The Chargers exploded with a new energy as they went on an 11-4 run to end the third quarter, entering the fourth up 24-21. In the final quarter, Shorewood couldn’t slow down Marysville Getchell as they continued to move the ball and push the pace. The Chargers outscored the Thunderbirds 11-1 in the quarter and took the victory by a commanding score of 35-22.

“We’re figuring things out but we’re missing the little pieces and the easy baskets. In the second half we were able to make a few adjustments and it was good to see them up their intensity on both ends. If we can keep this going, I think we can make a run,” said Marysville Getchell Head Coach Shannon Grandbois.

The Chargers were led by the youngest player on their varsity roster, freshman guard Ellie Jackson. She finished with a game-high 15 points with five three-pointers, two assists, five rebounds and four steals.

Marysville Getchell’s senior post players took control of the pain behind Faith Sherman, Alexus Atkins and Brionna Palm. Sherman led the game in rebounds with 11 and filled the stat sheet with four points, two assists, one block and two steals. Atkins used her size to grab seven rebounds and a block while scoring four points and dishing one assist. Palm came off the bench to score four points and grab four rebounds.

The playmakers for the Chargers were seniors Madison Hagglund and Maddy Grandbois, as they controlled the pace and led on both ends. Hagglund played inside and out as she tallied two points, three assists and six rebounds. Grandbois only scored two points but filled the stat sheet with four assists, one rebound and an incredible five steals.

Following the passing of basketball icon Kobe Bryant on Sunday, Jan. 26, Coach Grandbois said, “We talked about it as a team. What really hurts for me is how much he was starting to do for women’s basketball and how much he was doing for his daughters. It’s a devastating loss, but I still think that we can continue to take his message and be role models moving forward.”

Your final chance to watch the Chargers at home this season will be against the Arlington Eagles on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7:15 p.m.