Olympic stifles Edmonds in road loss

BREMERTON, Wash. — Edmonds fell to Olympic, 81-48, with Olympic dominating the boards, securing a 47-24 rebounding advantage. Edmonds committed 21 turnovers, contributing to 24 points for Olympic.

Edmonds began the first quarter with a balanced effort, quickly tying the game at 6–6 following a three-pointer by Darcie Gonzalez at 2:41, assisted by Ava Uusitalo. The Tritons briefly took the lead at 2:14 with a jumper by Gonzalez, assisted by Hailey Mata, pushing them ahead 8–6. However, Olympic regained control in the final minute, capping the quarter with a three-pointer at the buzzer, leaving Edmonds trailing 14–10 after the first.

Edmonds managed to find some offensive rhythm, highlighted by Kiani Hoolulu's 3-pointer at 7:10, assisted by Mata. However, Olympic's defensive pressure led to multiple turnovers, including a steal by Cesaria Pelagio that resulted in a layup at 0:19. Despite efforts from Edmonds, such as two successful free throws by Payton Fleishman at 3:06, Olympic extended their lead significantly. The second quarter concluded with Edmonds trailing 41–20, with Olympic outscoring them 27–10 in the frame.

Edmonds fought to narrow the gap in the third quarter with a key contribution from Gonzalez, who scored nine points including a crucial three-pointer at 2:29. Despite five turnovers, Edmonds capitalized on Olympic's errors, converting key free throws to keep their momentum. Olympic maintained control with a 19-15 scoring edge in the quarter, holding a lead of 58-35 as the quarter concluded.

In the final quarter, Mata sparked Edmonds with a 3-pointer that cut into the deficit at 8:16. Mata continued to lead the offense with a layup and another 3-pointer, briefly narrowing the gap to 26 points with 3:44 remaining. Despite Mata's efforts and a late 3-pointer by Hoolulu, Edmonds was unable to overcome Olympic's substantial advantage. The game concluded with a 21-point margin, as Olympic secured the win 81-48.

Gonzalez scored 18 points, including two 3-pointers, and recorded seven rebounds while adding two steals and two blocks. Mata matched Gonzalez with 18 points, hitting two 3-pointers and contributing three assists along with two steals. Hoolulu tallied eight points and made two 3-pointers, also collecting one steal.

Bellevue (10-11, 5-2) visits Seaview Gym on Wednesday, Feburary 4 to start the second round of region play. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.