Sports
Mercer Island High School Girls Basketball Beats the Kilsyth Cobras 54-53
The Islander girls basketball JV and Varsity teams hosted Australian players from a traveling "AAU" type club team near Melbourne, Australia
The Mercer Island High School girls varsity basketball team held the lead for most of the game Monday night against the visiting Australian Kilsyth Cobras and squeaked by for a one-point win, 54-53. Looking relaxed from the winter break, the Islanders moved the ball well. The three-pointers were falling for Jae Shin again, as she racked up another top scoring game with 19 points. Sarah Taylor had 14 points and 5 rebounds and Hailey Gullstad added 9 points, 5 assists and 2 steals.
Scoring nearly half of the Cobra's points was 5'6" Junior Kodie Kroussoratis with 23. Senior Bek O'Donnell added 12 points and 4 rebounds.
Coach Jamie Prescott said she remembered hosting Australian players several times when she and her sisters played basketball for Mercer Island. Prescott noted that the team that showed up this year was much improved over the teams she remembered from her past, a good thing as far as getting the Islanders ready for two league games later in the week. The Islanders travel to Interlake on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. game and on Friday, they host the league's first place leader, the Juanita Rebels at 6:30 p.m.
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Prescott was grateful for the extra game to get back on the court before league play resumes and get some minutes for all of her players.
"They provided us with a good game that will hopefully help us down the road."
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The Islanders JV team lost a close contest to Kilsyth's second team. JV player Kianna Chang enjoyed hosting three Aussies in her home. Mom Lynn Chang noted the visitors were "delightful" and Kianna and her vistitors stayed up until the wee hours comparing life here and in Australia, enjoying how much they have much in common, including many of the same favorite TV shows.
First team Aussies Zoe Cuskelly and Darcie Alderwick said so far they had enjoyed the shopping in Seattle and found things like jeans and "jumpers" (sweatshirts) were much cheaper here. They shopped for Levi and Lee jeans in downtown Seattle on Monday. One Aussie mom said they were also stocking up on make-up and other things that were significantly less expensive here.