Bethel’s Morales takes over, leads Braves past Lincoln in 3A regionals, 67-58
No. 2 Bethel played No. 7 Lincoln twice in the regular season, winning by 26 and 28 points respectively. The two teams met again a little over a week ago in the district tournament with a much different result. This time, Lincoln got the better of the Braves, winning 55-52.
The two teams met again in the state regional round of the 3A state tournament on Friday. With both teams searching for a berth in the quarterfinals, it was clear the Abes once again came to play.
But so did Bethel junior guard Esmeralda Morales.
The 5-foot-4 Morales had no trouble putting the Braves on her shoulders, scoring a game-high 36 points and helping the Braves to a 67-58 win.
“She took over, there was no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Bethel head coach Tim Brown said. “Tiarra (Brown) was having a struggle game with the rebounds and the putbacks today. (Esmerelda) put us on her shoulders, and she carried us the entire game, no doubts about it.”
Morales had 14 points at halftime and the Braves led by three, but the Abes came out even stronger in the second half. Lincoln took its first lead with 1:39 to play in the third quarter and led by as many as four in the final moments of the period, but Morales proved to be too much. She scored 22 of her 36 in the second half, including 14 in the fourth quarter.
“It was hard,” Morales said. “I think everyone just showed their heart. I didn’t want to lose (to Lincoln) again, so in my mind, I was going to do anything I can to take this win.
“I felt like it was my day. My teammates were there to help me, but I felt like once I could get my shot, it was going to go in.”
With the victory, the Braves avoid having to play a loser-out game in the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday. Instead, they advance straight to the quarterfinals on Thursday. Bethel will play at 9 p.m. against the winner of a loser-out game on Wednesday. The participants in that game are still to be determined.
“It really helps us (to have a bye on Wednesday), and it helps some of our kids who are injured to help take care of their bodies and stuff like that,” Brown said. “So this is a huge win for us to have a bye.”
Brown was also pleased that his team got a challenge going before Thursday’s quarterfinal game.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” Brown said. “Throughout our league we really weren’t tested too much until we got to districts and regionals, so this will really help us going into state.”
The season also continues for Lincoln, which will play a loser-out game in the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday with a berth in the quarterfinals on the line. The Abes will play at 5:30 p.m. against No. 10 Seattle Prep, which defeated No. 15 Juanita 85-57 in a loser-out regional game on Friday.
At Rogers High School
Lincoln 11 14 19 14 - 58
Bethel 17 11 18 21 - 67
Lincoln – Zaniya Banks 0, Kristol Ayson 16, Simani Thomas 5, Azriah Blackburn 0, Savaliga Fifita 0, Sharayah Johnson 22, Elizabeth Frazier 4, Malani Warren 6, Nyahoak Rambang 0, Daylina Wilson 5. Bethel – Rhiannon Davies 0, Esmerelda Morales 36, Ayumi Mori 0, Alyvia Cagle 0, Nakima Miller 0, Tayla Phillips 6, Samantha Hill 0, Amanda Wilkins 4, Tiarra Brown 17, Passion Johnson 0, Faith Taula 5