Jefferson girls keep rolling

Jefferson senior Michelle Morse set a school record with 40 points as the Raiders beat Skyview 68-47 in the opening round of the West Central District tournament Wednesday at Jefferson.

It was the first time Jefferson has won a first-round game at the West Central District tournament.

“The Raiders came to play tonight,” said Jefferson coach Mike Grady. “They let us run, and we’re going to run. Michelle went off and Jessiye (Clark)’s threes helped. We were fortunate Jessiye was hitting and Morse was hitting.

“I had no idea (Morse broke the record). We were surprised they let her go so much. They tried to play man-to-man (defense). We thought, ‘Hey, good luck. Nobody has been able stop her with that yet.’ ”

Morse broke her previous school record of 36 points when she received a pass from Chelsea Hunt and converted the layup with six minutes left in the game.

“We knew she scored a lot, but we didn’t know how,” said Skyview coach Dave Bennett. “We found out tonight.”

When Morse was taken out of the game with four minutes left, she had scored 40 points. The entire Skyview team had only scored 38 at that point.

“She didn’t have her best game against Kentlake, so she was motivated,” Clark said. “We were all pumped up coming off the loss to Kentlake.”

Jefferson led 13-7 at halftime, but broke the game open in the second quarter. The Raiders took advantage of three Skyview turnovers for six straight points. After Clark hit a 3-pointer, Jefferson was up 29-17 at halftime.

“We knew going into the game we’d lose if we played scared and soft,” Morse said. “Teams thought we weren’t for real, so we came out and showed them.”

Clark hit two more 3-pointers in the third quarter, and Hunt made one as Jefferson extended its lead to 55-35 after three quarters. Jefferson mopped up in the fourth quarter.

“Our coach is good — we’re well prepared,” Clark said.

Grady distributes packets about Jefferson’s next opponent for the players to review before every game. The team also watches tape of the team its playing.

Jefferson played against Kentridge last night at Rogers.

If it won, Jefferson is assured of a berth in the state tournament.

With a win, the Raiders would play at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27 at the University of Puget Sound. If Jefferson lost, it plays at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 at Emerald Ridge.

Check Wednesday’s Mirror for details.

Kentridge beat Olympia, which previously had a 20-1 record, to reach the second-round game against Jefferson.

“We gotta keep up our intensity and just go with it,” Morse said. “The second round will be even tougher than the first round.”

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.