Sevi Bielser’s Big Night Fuels Arlington’s Playoff Victory Over Shorewood
Sevi Bielser (’16) prepares to shoot a three-pointer during a playoff game against Shorewood. Bielser finished the game with twenty points in the Eagles’ victory.
The Arlington Eagles were able to defeat the Shorewood Thunderbirds Saturday night by a final score of 56-40. Although the game was tight throughout, a big offensive night by senior Sevi Bielser helped the Eagles to pull away late in the game, allowing them to win by an impressive 16 points.
In their first playoff game of the season, the Eagles started off a bit shaky. They allowed the Thunderbirds lots of open shots, and tried to drive through traffic where there weren’t openings. But after Bielser made back-to-back 3’s, senior Jayla Russ had a layup of her own, then hustled back down the court for a block. The Eagles were able put up six more points, going up 14-11 at the end of the first quarter. But Shorewood battled back in the second quarter, tying the game at 17. The Eagles responded well: Going on a 6-0 run to end the half, up 23-17.
Russ came out firing in the second half, quickly racking up thirteen points. The Eagles defense also stood tall, only allowing Shorewood seven points in the third quarter. And when the Thunderbirds looked to be edging back into the game–only down by six points at one point in the fourth–Bielser quickly slammed the door on any hopes of a Shorewood rally as she drained three after three, bringing her total on the night to an impressive 20. Senior Gracie Casteneda also made some noise during the game, putting up eight points as the Eagles cruised to victory, 56-40.
“We moved the ball really well,” said junior Tahlia Miears when asked what made the Eagles successful in Saturday night’s victory.
The Eagles will play Glacier Peak (9-3 against divisional opponents, 16-5 overall) at Shorecrest High School on Wednesday night at 6pm. The Eagles faced off against Glacier Peak in December, defeating the Grizzles 62-59.
When asked about her performance on the night, Bielser pointed not to herself, but rather her teammates–a move that displayed just how team-driven this Eagles squad truly is.
“Every play we hustled,” said Bielser. “Everyone worked so extremely hard. I give it [credit for the win] to my teammates because they deserve it.”
Castaneda–8. Balderas–2. Short–4. Bielser–20. Larson–3. Janousek–5. Brown–0. Anderson–0. Miears–1. Russ-13.
