Earlier this season, Bothell High girls basketball coach Kent Shaefer spoke of the team’s need to prepare for a tough opponent and fight through a tough game for a tough win.

Woodinville certainly put Bothell to the test on Friday, forcing the Cougars to rally for a 52-48 conference victory at Woodinville High School. The game was a matchup of two teams with an undefeated conference record.

It was only the second loss of the season for Woodinville (5-1 KingCo, 10-2), who dropped a game to a Washington state opponent for the first time this season.

Bothell senior Taya Corosdale scored 17 points in the win, including the go-ahead 3 pointer midway through the fourth quarter.

Corosdale’s shot came following back-to-back 3 pointers from junior Emily Gibson, and gave Bothell a 43-42 edge. Corosdale hit all four of her free throw attempts down the stretch, leading the Cougars (6-0, 10-1) to perhaps their biggest win of the year.

“Every time you get tested is good for you,” Shaefer said. “We’ve played them, that is the 10th time in my four years here, and I think out of those 10 games, [six] of them have been four points or less.”

“We’ve been on the losing end of a couple of close games and they’re a good team,” Shaefer said. “They’re well coached, they scrap, and I like how they play.”

The Cougars have a 7-3 series edge in the last four seasons, and only one of the games was decided by double digits. Bothell has won the last seven, but the two programs know what to expect from one another.

In Woodinville’s case, buckle down on Corosdale and senior guard Keyonna Jones. The Falcons typically put two defenders on Corosdale, and threw a physical double team at the Oregon State commit on rebound attempts.

“They did a good job of trying to take [Corosdale] and [Jones] away, so we had to get some other girls to step up,” Shaefer said. “You can’t just keep forcing the ball into those two all the time. I thought we did a good job of taking the shots that were there.”

Corosdale and Jones went scoreless in the third quarter, and Corosdale spent much of the quarter on the bench in foul trouble. Instead, Gibson, sophomore Kelsey Hudson and senior Jada Romulus combined for 10 points to help Bothell keep pace and tie the game going into the fourth quarter.

Hudson finished with 11 points, including a big and-one in the fourth quarter. Romulus had eight points and Jones scored six.

Madison Lundquist led Woodinville with 16 points. Gabriella Walen had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Next, Bothell is scheduled to play Eastlake in another tough conference game at 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 11 at Bothell High School.

Bothell head coach Kent Shaefer, at left, talks with the team before the third quarter at Woodinville High School on Jan. 6. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter

Bothell senior Keyonna Jones fights for a loose ball during the first half of the Cougars’ win over Woodinville on Jan. 6. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter

Bothell sophomore Kelsey Hudson scored 11 points, including a big stretch in the third quarter, in Bothell’s win over Woodinville on Jan. 6. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter

Bothell post Taya Corosdale (5) often had to fight through double teams, but finished with a game-high 17 points for the Cougars on Jan. 6. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter

Bothell senior Jada Romulus finished with eight points and played a big role bringing the ball up the floor in the Cougars’ win over Woodinville on Jan. 6. JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD/Bothell-Kenmore Reporter