The Meridian High School girls’ basketball team was home on Monday night to conclude
its regular season, playing Skyline in a game that was originally scheduled for last week. The
Mustangs entered the night at 16-4 on the season with a 13-2 record in their region, and
previously beat Skyline 60-34 on the road back on January 17 th .
This one, however, would not be as easy. Skyline scored the game’s first two buckets
before a Nora Stufft layup got Meridian on the board, and after trailing 7-10, the Mustangs gave
up an 8-0 run to end the first quarter. Skyline’s lead would extend to 14 before back-to-back
Ellie Friesen threes got the home team back within single digits, and Zoe Gale made a layup in
the closing seconds of the half to send Meridian into the intermission trailing by a manageable
margin of 20-25.
Skyline scored the first five points of the third quarter, after which Meridian coach Chris
Carrico gave his girls an earful of tough love in the huddle. They responded with an 11-0 run to
take their first lead of the night, but it would be short-lived – after entering the fourth quarter tied
at 32, Skyline would regain the upper hand and never look back. The visitors led 38-37 and then
went on a game-sealing 12-0 run to span most of the final frame, and a Charlotte Lieu three-
pointer to cut the deficit back to ten would be Meridian’s last score of the night as the Mustangs
lost 54-40.
That concludes Meridian’s regular season with a record of 16-5, and the Mustangs will
now await their opponent for Friday’s playoff opener, likely to be their only home game of the
postseason. There is a high chance that said opponent could once again be Skyline.