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Originally published February 3, 2012 at 10:23 PM | Page modified February 3, 2012 at 11:41 PM
Shorecrest floors Glacier Peak, 59-51 | Girls Basketball
Brianne Lasconia scored 21 points and the Highlanders won the final scheduled game on their current gym floor.
Special to The Seattle Times
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SHORELINE — Fifty years of Shorecrest High School history was laid right there before them.
More than a decade of memories, as well, was at stake for five Highlanders senior girls basketball players who played the final regular-season game on the current Shorecrest floor Friday night.
"It's been really emotional toward the end of the season," Shorecrest coach Dori Monson said after his team secured WesCo 3A's No. 2 seed to the district tournament with a 59-51 victory over Glacier Peak.
"I've coached two of these seniors since kindergarten, one since second grade, one since fifth and one since sixth. We've been together about as long as any player and coach can be together."
The victory made it possible that the Shorecrest girls could play two more games on the old floor before it is retired. Next fall, the school will move into a new gym on campus.
Shorecrest (16-4 overall, 13-3 league), like No. 3 seed Glacier Peak (15-5, 12-4), will open Northwest District play on Thursday at home. If the Highlanders win, they will host a second-round game on Saturday before the tournament moves to neutral sites in Week 2.
Friday's game against the Grizzlies was supposed to have been played two weeks ago. But snow wiped out a full week's worth of games, forcing Friday's makeup game. Shorecrest was coming off a 58-42 win over rival Shorewood on Thursday night.
"We had our senior night last night because it was supposed to be the final game," Shorecrest senior Brianne Lasconia said. "But we had this back-to-back. It's rough, and we were kind of worried. But we kept our focus."
Shorecrest and Glacier Peak came into the game tied for second place, giving this one a winner-take-all bent.
Trailing 56-43 with 1:51 to play, Glacier Peak's Torrey Hill scored four quick points and it was 56-47 with 1:07 left. Shorecrest then turned the ball over on consecutive plays, but all Glacier Peak could get was a single free throw from Katie Hawkins.
With the Grizzlies forced to foul, Janie Uppinghouse — another of those Highlander seniors — made two free throws with 37 seconds to play.
Lasconia made 1 of 2 with 17 seconds to go, putting the finishing touch on her 21-point night.
