Another dominant defensive effort: No. 3 Todd Beamer rolls past Eastlake, 58-39, to reach Tacoma Dome

Don’t let all the laughing and dancing fool you. This Todd Beamer girls basketball team is quite business-like.

Especially defensively. The third-ranked Titans advanced to the Tacoma Dome for the 4A state quarterfinals for the second consecutive season with a 58-39 loser-out victory over Eastlake on Saturday at Puyallup High School.

Beamer (22-2) has held every opponent except for two to fewer than 50 points in games.

The only two it didn’t? Those were losses to Class 3A schools Bellevue (92-58) and Lynnwood (62-38).

"Ever since our two losses we’ve been preaching defense," Beamer coach Corey Alexander said. "And that was the key to the game. I don’t’ think it was our best shooting performance but our defense helped set the tone for the game."

Darion Brown led the Titans with 15 points, Bria Rice added 10 and Nia Alexander nine. But Japhera McEachin was key defensively, limiting Eastlake’s Gina Marxen to 13 points.

Now Beamer returns to the Dome after losing in the state semifinals to eventual state champion Gonzaga Prep – on a Laura Stockton buzzer beater.

And Corey Alexander said his team is hungry to send its six seniors out with a state title – especially Nia Alexander and Rice, who have now reached state all four years they’ve been starters (the only four state appearances in school history).

But this year’s team plays a different style than years past. This is the biggest team Corey Alexander’s had at Beamer.

"We are ready," Corey Alexander said. "We are fighting for each other. We have six seniors, so they are hungry for it."

Beamer’s opponent will be determined at a WIAA tournament draw on Sunday.

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Another dominant defensive effort: No. 3 Todd Beamer rolls past Eastlake, 58-39, to reach Tacoma Dome."