MVP: Peyton Siva, Franklin

First Team
Steven Bjornstad, Columbia River
Alex Schrempf, Bellevue
Vonchae Richardson, Franklin
Patrick Nyeko, Seattle Prep

Second Team
Aaron Bright, Bellevue
Kyle Thurston, Columbia River
Sean Jones, O’Dea
Chris Holmes, Franklin
Roger O’Neill, Meadowdale

As the Highlanders closed in one final time, Kennedy turned to its star one more time in a critical situation.

And junior Yaz Fuller was there to meet the challenge.

With the Lancers leading, 46-43, and with the shot clock running down, Fuller strode to her left, galloped up the side and banked in a running 4-footer to put this close game to rest.

Kennedy led 42-32 early in the fourth quarter, but as they did all game long, the Highlands took each glancing blow, and kept coming – even after injuries to guard Kendra Knutsen (knee) and Aleisha Hathaway (elbow).

Hathaway returned, hit a FT to cut it to 46-43 with 59.4 seconds to go, setting up Fuller's clutch shot.

The Spokane school came roaring out of the locker room, starting on a 7-0 run to tie it at 29 with 4:36 to go. Kennedy called timeout, and the Highlanders bench erupted as if it had just clinched the title.

Not so fast.

Kennedy coach Tom Mummert must have reminded his players to work the ball around, and they did – finally. Guard Aminah Williams got more touches inside, and she responded with two quick baskets. She's been the game's most efficient performer (6-of-8 FGs).

And letting the clock run out on the quarter, Yaz Fuller, who's had her good and bad moments in this game, drained a long 3-pointer from the top of the arc right before the buzzer.

MVP
Yaz Fuller, Kennedy

First Team
Daidra Brown, Kennedy
Bianca Pope, Shadle Park
Erika Johnson, Holy Names
Carol Howard, Franklin

Second Team
Lindsey Niemeier, Shadle Park
Claire Conricode, Holy Names
Laura Hughes, Hanford
Morgan Merriman, Lakeside
Heather Hitch, Enumclaw

The Lancers have gotten too much in one-on-one mode with Yaz Fuller, Jasmine Lemon and Daidra Brown. At times, it's worked – they shot eight FTs in the second quarter. It might not be a wise precedent if the game tightens up.

Kennedy took a 26-17 lead wtih 2:45 to go in the half on Fuller's layin when she got back behind the Highlanders' defense in transition. Shadle Park crept back in the final two minutes with back-to-back buckets – the last coming on Bianca Pope's 8-footer in the paint at the 1:05 mark to cut it to 26-22, but the Lancers had a three-point possession 21 seconds later.

BOXSCORE
Kennedy – Lemon 1-4 0-0 2, Lockart 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 4-12 3-4 13, Brown 2-4 1-4 5, Goins 0-0 0-0 0, Madison 0-0 1-2 1, Williams 4-5 0-0 8. Totals: 11-25 5-10 29.
Shadle Park – Sleizer 0-0 0-0 0, Niemeier 1-3 0-0 2, Dezellem 0-1 1-2 1, Chandler 1-3 0-0 2, Pope 3-7 0-2 6, Carlton 1-4 1-2 4, Hathaway 1-5 0-0 3, Knutsen 2-4 0-0 4. Totals: 9-27 2-6 22.

For the first part of the quarter, Shadle Park defended Kennedy in a 2-3 zone. It didn't work, mainly for the two reasons zone defenses don't – the Highlanders couldn't keep Lancers' forward Aminah Williams out of the middle. And they couldn't keep Kennedy from getting second chances.

Williams scored six points in the first 3:40. Two baskets came from putbacks, and the other came from finding a middle crease and canning an 8-footer in the lane.

Yaz Fuller has a pair of long-distance 3-pointers, and leads all scorers with eight points.

Shadle Park closed by scoring on four of its final five possessions.