ILWACO — Erika Glenn had 38 points and nine steals in Ilwaco’s 55-44 win over a much-improved Chief Leschi team Wednesday, Dec. 4. The Lady Warriors came back from down 20-2 to take a 38-37 lead late in the third, but Ilwaco won the fourth quarter 14-3 to close it out.

Glenn was a First-Team All-State player as a sophomore last season. To start this year, she has played like she is searching for a still higher level, testing the outer limits of her abilities. Both as a passer and as a scorer, she took creative risks. When something didn’t work, she channeled her frustration to fuel another aggressive play.

IHS girls high-scoring records

“We knew this team was going to come back better, and I knew I needed to let them know that I’m better this year, too. That the ways they could guard me last year wouldn’t work.”

Playing with a fire that always seemed on the edge of burning out of control, Glenn had a remarkable performance.

She seized initiative from the opening possession. Having multiple defenders in a path usually deters drivers, but Glenn got by her defender, went right at the help defender and drew a shooting foul, setting the tone for the game.

While Glenn and the Fishermen got off to a strong start, her gambles didn’t always pay off. Early on she twice turned it over on tough passes intended to set up easy baskets for Olivia McKinstry. Another time she dribbled into a trap, then turned it over trying to zip a pass out of the trap.

With Chief Leschi on an 8-0 run that cut it to 20-10, Glenn put up a wild airball. Frustrated, she sprinted back to half-court, stole the ball, drove into the lane, and Euro-stepped around a defender to score. Then she went into a full-court press, taking on two Leschi players at once as they sought to dribble and pass around her. Glenn forced a high sideways pass, batted it out of the air, and scored again.

“When Erika gets mad, she steps up her game,” coach Ned Bittner said. “It’s how she’s always played. She finds an extra gear.”

In the final minute of the half, she scored eight points. Against two defenders in the post, Glenn made a move to the middle of the lane and got the roll on a tough shot. She then answered a Wicahpi Cook three-pointer with a three-point play with 10.6 in the half. As she had earlier, Glenn followed her shot by playing one-on-two defense in the back-court, forcing a high pass, and leaping to snatch it out of the air before laying it in. She had 22 points at that juncture, and Ilwaco led 33-18.

Leschi, which failed to capitalize on good scoring chances early in the game, got hotter and hotter. Cynthia Laplante and Alicia Pluff nailed shots from long-range, and Mylina Pluff got open in the post. Throughout the third quarter Ilwaco missed some close-range shots. A three-point play by Mylina Pluff gave the Warriors their first lead at 38-37. Kenya Scabbyrobe scored off a steal to make it 40-37.

Seeking to turn the game around, Glenn drove the lane but turned it over in traffic. But she chased down a steal and scored. Overflowing with intensity, she got a technical foul for clapping at a Leschi player in celebration.

“We were down a couple, and I get angry, I get emotional, I get competitive,” Glenn said. “I just felt I had to tell her I was here, and I was going to keep after her. But as I was doing it, I knew, in my mind, I would get teed up for it.”

The Warriors, who had opening-week wins over Pe Ell and Seattle Lutheran, were giving the five-time league champion Lady Fishermen all they could handle. But Ilwaco won the fourth quarter.

“(Point guard) Tiana (Ramsey) was amazing under real heavy pressure,” Glenn said. “Sunny (Kemmer) and Estella (Sheldon) played good defense….The refs let a lot go on both sides, and you’ve just got to see how the game’s being called and adjust.”

With 6:29 to play, Kylie Gray put back Glenn’s missed free throw and Ilwaco led 44-41. Off a missed three-pointer by Laplante, Glenn went on the break, took the defender to the rack, and hit the layup to make it 46-41.

With about four minutes to play, Glenn hit a dagger shot. As the shot clock wound down below five seconds, Glenn put up the shot from the middle of the ship’s anchor that is painted onto the court way beyond the three-point arc on the right side of the court at Carl Aase Gymnasium. She swished it for a 49-41 lead.

Even when the game was largely decided, Glenn kept the pedal to the metal. Slashing right into two defenders yet again, she took the elbow to the stomach (or the defender took a stomach to the elbow – no foul was called on either player) and doubled over in pain and nausea. She went to the bench for the final 1:09, having achieved one of the highest scoring performances, and probably one of the most intense efforts, in Ilwaco history.