‘Our starting five, everyone is a weapon.’ Bordeaux takes her turn in Bellarmine Prep’s opening round rout of Hazen

If No. 6 Bellarmine Prep’s girls basketball team plays the way it did in the opening round of the Class 4A state tournament against No. 14 Hazen the rest of the way, the Lions believe they might have the pieces in place to make a run.

The Lions took Hazen out of its offensive game plan from start to finish, and scored at ease Wednesday to come away with a 57-33 win at the Tacoma Dome.

“We really focused on pushing the ball in transition, being patient in our plays, tough on defense,” Bellarmine coach Kim West said. “We needed to really show our intensity on the defensive end. I think we got some great steals that ended up in some transition points, which helped.”

Few teams in the state tournament can boast Bellarmine’s offensive balance, which may be its most important asset. Four Bellarmine players came into the game averaging double-digit scoring.

Against Hazen, it was forward Julia Bordeaux’s time to shine.

Bordeaux, also a state champion golfer at Bellarmine, scored a game-high 21 points for the Lions, while also hauling in 10 rebounds, and recording six steals and three assists.

“Our starting five, everyone is a weapon,” Bordeaux said. “That’s a huge thing, not a lot of teams have it.”

Bordeaux, a 5-foot-11 junior, is something of a stretch-four, able to post up but also boasting a strong mid-range game and good free throw shooting touch.

“She’s so versatile,” West said. “She’s great, she can bring the ball up, she’s worked on her post moves, and just her athleticism. ... There’s no pressure for her. She loves playing and being around these girls. She’s a great player and a great leader for us.”

If Bordeaux is the team’s best athlete, junior point guard Callie Stevens is the team’s heart and soul, setting the tone for the offense. Stevens scored 18 points.

“She played an unbelievable game,” West said. “She was a leader out there for us.”

Sharaya Coe led the Highlanders with 11 points. She was the only player in double-digits, as Bellarmine’s defense visibly frustrated the Hazen players throughout the game.

“We were getting in the passing lanes, getting in front of the ball, pressuring their point guard,” Bordeaux said. “Our guards did a great job and our posts down low, as well.”

Up next, Bellarmine faces No. 4 Central Valley tomorrow in the quarterfinals at 3:45 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome. With Bellarmine’s blowout win in the opening round, the Lions are feeling confident.

“We’re going to take as much (momentum) as we can and just keep trying to win,” Bordeaux said.

TEAM STATISTICS

H – Shooting: 11 of 47 (23.4 percent). Free throws: 11 of 24 (45.8). Turnovers: 27.

BP – Shooting: 18 of 53 (34 percent). Free throws: 19 of 24 (79.2). Turnovers: 8.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

H – Sharaya Coe 11, Nia Johnson 8, Ialissa Fredrickson 5, Brooke Smith 4, Anna Browne 3, Ashley Smith 2.

BP – Julia Bordeaux 21, Callie Stevens 18, Ciara Gatpatan 11, Reyelle Frazier 7.

This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 6:17 PM.