It’s been a long time since the Bothell High School girls basketball team won a KingCo title. But the Cougars put an end to a 19-year drought with a 61-47 victory over Eastlake to take the 4A KingCo championship on Thursday night at Lake Washington High School in Kirkland.
“We looked at the walls in our gym and there aren’t many KingCo plaques over 80 years,” said Bothell head coach Kent Schaefer. “I just told them let’s take what we came for.”
Eastlake posed a challenge for Bothell during the first half, growing a 7-3 first-quarter lead to a 23-15 advantage during the second quarter.
The eight points was the largest deficit the Cougars faced all game. But then someone woke up Taya Corosdale for Bothell.
“We were slow at first but then we picked it up,” Corosdale said.
The 6-foot-2 center pounded the paint, finishing the first half with six of her team’s final eight points to give the Cougars a one-point lead at halftime, 26-25.
The second half was all Cougars as they continued to maul the Wolves in the key. A three-point play for Corosdale, who forced her way to the hoop, gave Bothell a 40-31 lead half way through the third quarter. The junior, who finished with 28 points, received a lot of help from her teammates as she used her height advantage to score in the key.
“Our guards did a great job getting her the ball,” Schaefer said.
The Bothell defense also made a big impact during the second half.
“We just started playing a lot more aggressive,” Corosdale said.
Following a big defensive stop, Cougar Erin Burns put an end to any thoughts of an Eastlake comeback, taking a half court pass from Keyonna Jones to score an easy bucket to put Bothell up 50-39 with just a 1:30 left in the game.
Jones finished with 11 points for the Cougars.
Bothell now moves on to the 4A Sea-King District tournament with the No. 1 seed and a 22-1 record overall this season.
“This is very special to be a part of,” said Corosdale, who was honored after the game with the 4A KingCo MVP award. “Everyday we grind it out and [winning] this [game] was very important.”
Schaefer said he has seen a change in his team since they lost the KingCo title game last season.
“I am just thrilled for the girls,” Schaefer said. “We have started to play more to win and not to lose and that is big.”
