No. 7 Lincoln girls’ season ends with loss to Edmonds-Woodway in 3A tournament

Coach Jamila Jones knows there will always be a special place in Lincoln High School girls basketball for Tamia Braggs.

Three years ago when Jones took over the program, the Abes were like a creaky old house ready to crumble.

Braggs, the 6-foot-2 post headed to Santa Clara, was a big reason that a new foundation for success has been built.

“Lincoln basketball didn’t look like this three years ago,” Jones said. “She has helped build something that should be lasting.”

The seventh-ranked Abes wanted a Class 3A title — not a two-and-out exit, courtesy of a 50-42 loss to Mady Burdett-led Edmonds-Woodway on Friday.

Points were difficult to come by. A team that had scored at least 50 points in 19 games this season struggled in the Tacoma Dome.

They scored 33 points in a loss Thursday to Arlington. And they were a tad better Friday — but still not up to their standard.

“We just fell short,” Braggs said.

Burdett, a senior guard, was firing from long distances. She sank three 3-pointers in a 2  1/2-minute span in the first quarter to get the Warriors going.

The only time Lincoln (24-3) got in any rhythm was the first 4:10 of the second quarter. The 3A Narrows champions erased a 10-point deficit by scoring on their first seven possessions — a 13-0 run.

Braggs tallied five of those points. Morticia McCall added four points. Maybe this would allow Lincoln to turn the corner, right?

“We got to the point where we were finally attacking the gaps in the zone,” Jones said.

But 30 seconds into the second half of a 23-23 game, Braggs picked up her third foul on a rebound. She went to the bench for the next seven minutes.

“It was hard, because I felt I could not help my team out,” Braggs said.

And no sooner had she sat down, Burdett drilled her fourth 3-pointer to give Edmonds-Woodway (17-11) the lead for good — 26-23.

“It was my teammates, really,” Burdett said. “They found me open.”

Her final 3-pointer, with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter, gave the Warriors a 40-30 advantage. She finished with a game-high 19 points.

As for Braggs, she fouled out with a couple of minutes remaining, finishing her fine prep career as the three-time 3A Narrows player of the year. She scored eight points and had three blocked shots.

“It sucks it’s over,” Braggs said. “I have had a great four years here at Lincoln, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 5:03 PM with the headline "No. 7 Lincoln girls’ season ends with loss to Edmonds-Woodway in 3A tournament."