Tamia Braggs, Lincoln beat Rainier Beach, advance to Tacoma Dome

Tamia Braggs was pump-faking, stepping through and spinning her way to points on the low block. Morticia McCall was bringing the ball up the floor, getting to the basket and blocking shots on defense.

And at one point in all of that, Jamila Jones said he stopped being the coach of the Lincoln High School girls basketball team in its 53-41 victory against Rainier Beach on Friday at Rogers High School. He was a fan.

“I love my team,” said Jones after his team clinched a spot in the Class 3A state quarterfinals and will play just down the road at the Tacoma Dome for the second time in three years. “I absolutely love Tamia. I absolutely love Morticia. I absolutely love my team.

“When they play like that and they play like they did on defense, what’s not to like?”

Braggs scored a game-high 17 points and McCall added 15 for the Abes (24-1), who last played in the Dome — which is just 1.5 miles from Lincoln High School — in 2014, Jones’ first year as the team’s coach.

The teams opponent and game time for Thursday’s quarterfinals matchup will be determined in a blind draw Sunday afternoon by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

The seniors were big. But the biggest shot came from 5-foot-3 freshman point guard Faith Brantley, who hit a corner 3-pointer with 5:01 remaining to put Lincoln ahead 45-35. It was her only three points of the game and the Abes had trailed 25-24 at halftime.

“Dagger and I called it,” Jones said. “As soon as it hit her hands, I was like, ‘That’s the dagger.’ It was huge.

“And she’s a freshman. I always say that she’s a pitbull stuck in a chihuahua’s body.”

Rainier Beach’s season ended with the loss in the 3A state regional. Saniah Simpson-Patu led the Vikings with 12 points.

Lincoln has won 22 consecutive games since its only loss of the season — 58-49 against Cleveland on Dec. 14.

“It feels great,” Braggs said. “We’re just ready to get back (to the Dome) and do what we have to do.”

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Tamia Braggs, Lincoln beat Rainier Beach, advance to Tacoma Dome."