The Bellarmine Prep girls rang up another impressive victory last night at ShoWare. They defeated No. 3 Kentwood, 56-49, to advance to the West Central District title game. Mechela Barnes was a force. This girl is good in traffic. The 5-10 senior scored 27 points, a fair amount of them coming off baseline drives and rugged, ambidexterous layups in traffic under the basket.

This Lions team has a quality of resilience not seen in the teams of the past three or four years. They overcame a late eight-point run in the first half to rally and lead by seven points at the half. Then they weathered another determined effort by Kentwood, who overcame that deficit and took a 40-35 lead with about six minutes left in the game.

When Nyzhe Primas made a steal and passed off to Barnes who put the Lions up 45-43 with a reverse layup, and then Sarah Hartwell immediately stole the ball back from Kentwood after the inbounds play, Kentwood called a timeout.

The Conquerors were frustrated as they went to their bench. The Lions had different body language, altogether. Their heads were up, they were clapping and tapping each other’s shoulders and some were smiling as they approached their pumped-up bench.

They seem to know they were going to win the game.

“I think that’s right.” said junior forward Simonne Potts afterward, acknowledging  the team’s resurrected confidence with caution.

Coach Kevin Meines, after the game: “This is not the same old Bellarmine Lions. I’ve been telling people all season. When this team plays hard, they can beat anyone.”

As Kentwood found out, anyone of six Bellarmine players can be a playmaker.  Hartwell, Barnes, and Potts and Grace Beardemphl have been starters together for the past two seasons. Add Shelby Swofford who has a great shooting touch, and Primas, a sophomore who has been playing lock-down defense, and this depth and balance makes this the most dangerous team going into the state tournament next week.

The Lions will play Friday night, Feb. 26 against No. 1 ranked Auburn Riverside at ShoWare for the district title and top seed going into the Tacoma Dome.

Posted by Rick Walter

For more on the Lions, read this week’s story in the Tacoma Weekly:

http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/4103/