GIRLS BASKETBALL: Federal Way wins SPSL South, will take on Mount Rainier in title game

The Federal Way girls basketball team snagged their second South Puget Sound League South Division championship in a row last weekend.

The Eagles beat up Beamer Friday night, 67-34, and outlasted Bethel Saturday in their SPSL South finale, 43-34. The two wins helped Federal Way finish 15-1 in the South and 17-3 overall.

The victories also earned the Eagles a berth into the SPSL Championship game against the top-ranked Mount Rainier Rams. Federal Way and Mount Rainier (20-0) will play at 8 p.m. at Kent's ShoWare Center Friday night. The winner will be the SPSL's top seed into the West Central District Tournament and the loser will be the second seed.

Mount Rainier will be looking for a little revenge. Last year, Federal Way beat the Rams twice during the postseason. The Eagles got by Mount Rainier in the district championship, 66-56, and then beat the Rams in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament, 60-53. Federal Way eventually lost in the Class 4A state title game to Lewis & Clark.

Federal Way is led by senior guards Darah Huertas-Vining (16.2 points a game), Raven Benton (14.8) and Dyesha Belhumeur (10.8). But its the Eagles' defense that will be the key against Mount Rainier.

The Rams are scoring 68 points a game and are led by sophomore sensation Brittany McPhee, who is scoring 23.0 points a game. Mount Rainier also has Kiana Gandy (14.5 points) and Jordan McPhee (10.1), Brittany's twin sister who won the Class 4A cross country state title in the fall.

Against Beamer, the Eagles separated in the second quarter by outscoring the Titans, 15-4, during the eight minutes. Huertas-Vining led Federal Way with 21 points and Benton finished with 15. In total, 14 Eagles played during the game.

Beamer (5-11 SPSL South, 8-12 overall) had nobody in double figures and were led by the eight points of Megan Huff.

The Titans finished their season Saturday with a 48-41 win over Curtis in University Place. Huff finished with 23 points and senior Meghan Graf chipped in 15 for Beamer.

In their SPSL South finale, the Eagles won the defensive battle against Bethel, thanks to a 20-point third quarter, which erased a 20-16 halftime deficit.

Benton led Federal Way with 16 points and Huertas-Vining chipped in 11.

In other action:

Jefferson — The Raiders (6-10 SPSL North, 8-12 overall) won a pair of huge games Friday and Saturday to earn a berth into a three-way playoff for the fifth and final playoff berth from the SPSL North.

Jefferson, Auburn and Tahoma all finished 6-10 in the North and split during the regular season. Auburn and TJ will play a mini-game starting at 7 p.m. at Auburn Riverside on Wednesday and the winner will play Tahoma in another mini-game immediately following. The winner of the second mini-game will advance into the SPSL Tournament.

The Raiders earned the berth into the tiebreaker by beating Kentlake Friday, 32-27, and Tahoma on Saturday, 54-35.

Against Kentlake, Christina Kullberg led TJ with nine points and Jada Piper chipped in eight during the defensive battle.

Piper came back the next night against Tahoma and finished with a season-high 22 points. Kullberg had 12 and the Raider defense held the Bears to single-digit points in all four quarters.

Decatur — The Gators () finished their SPSL 3A season Thursday night with a 59-15 loss to Auburn Mountainview on the road. The league champion Lions outscored Decatur, 14-0, during the second quarter. Talibah Foust-Mills and A'yesia Rogers both tallied five points.

 

Contact Federal Way Mirror Sports editor Casey Olson at sports@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565 ext. 5056.

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