Wilson claims T-Town Throwdown trophy with win over Redmond

Hope Lalau supposes the three consecutive wins Wilson High School collected this week will give the Rams a boost heading into the bulk of the 2018-19 season.

“I think it’s more than just winning,” Lalau said. “I think it’s a growth thing. ... It’s a confidence thing, knowing we can win it.”

Wilson won the second annual T-Town Throwdown, a tournament the Rams host, Friday night in Tacoma with a 48-41 victory over visiting Redmond, closing out a string of three consecutive wins in as many days.

“I think we’ve grown as a team overall,” Lalau said. “This week, we really did well with trying to keep the intensity on us, and keep the energy on our side. We tried not to let the little fall-downs dictate the game. We tried to go on to the next play.”

Lalau finished with a game-high 18 points, and added eight rebounds, seven deflections, three assists and three steals in more than 25 minutes to help lift the Rams (9-1) past the Mustangs.

Brooklyn Grant added 12 points, including three 3-pointers, and nine rebounds.

Wilson also topped a tough Annie Wright team in Wednesday’s opener, and Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) on Thursday night to advance to the final.

“Throughout this tournament, we were plagued with a lot of different things,” Wilson coach Michelle Birge said. “A lot of it is more of the mental side of the game. As we fight through that, we’re learning we have key pieces, we just have to not look inward, and look outward.”

Grant averaged 19.3 points per game for the tournament, including 15 baskets from beyond the arc.

Lalau averaged 15.7, and added 22 total deflections, 21 assists, 16 rebounds and 10 steals across Wilson’s three games. She had a triple-double (18 points, 10 assists, 10 deflections) against Annie Wright.

“We have some incredible leadership,” Birge said. “Hope is our toughest player, she’s our best athlete, and our best defender — which is rare. Rarely is your best player your best defender, too.”

Lalau helped key Wilson’s biggest run in the second half against Redmond with her relentless pursuit on defense.

After entering the break tied at 24-24, the Rams limited Redmond to five baskets from the floor in the second half, and forced 23 turnovers throughout the contest.

The Mustangs often went on long scoring droughts, and never regained a lead after a Wilson free throw less than three minutes into the third quarter.

“Our job all season long is to put incredible pressure on the ball, get a deflection, get a trap and have other people behind us picking those steals,” Birge said. “That is what has pushed us as far as we are.”

Redmond went on a late 7-0 run in the final four minutes of the game, but Wilson built a big enough cushion during its 19-point third quarter to hold the Mustangs off.

“We’ve been working really hard. I think this is a group that can do amazing things,” Birge said. “I know people were discounting us at first, but I think right now we have some attention, because we have key pieces in place to do great things.”

TEAM STATISTICS

R – Shooting: 13 of 45 (28.9). Free throws: 13 of 24 (54.2). Turnovers: 23.

W – Shooting: 16 of 60 (26.7 percent). Free throws: 9 of 15 (60). Turnovers: 17.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

R – Willow Thom 3, Ali Benton 4, Caroline Talbot 6, Lauren Lund 4, Cecelia Thomas 2, Madeline Spelman 2, Sami Castanos 11, Iona Dulan 4, Avery Porcher 1, Whitney Thom 4.

W – Brooklyn Grant 12, Veronika Pon 6, Maggie Davis 8, Bryanna Birge 4, Hope Lalau 18.

This story was originally published December 29, 2018 at 1:50 AM.