Proficient defense and rebounding in the final 12 minutes of regulation propelled the Sammamish Totems girls basketball team to a victory against the Foster Bulldogs.

Early in the third quarter the Totems clung to a meager 26-24 lead but outscored Foster 32-20 down the stretch, earning a 58-44 win on Dec. 14 at Sammamish High School in Bellevue. The Totems improved to 2-3 overall with the win. Sammamish head coach Michael Schick was glad to see his team dial up the intensity with the outcome of the game in question in the second half.

“We turned up the defensive tenacity and rebounding. When we rebound we’re a good ball-club but when we have those mental lapses it turns into a dogfight,” Schick said.

Sammamish’s offense was clicking throughout the duration of the game. Totems’ senior guard Princess Mejorada consistently drove the lane for easy buckets and finished with 15 points. Sammamish guard Aleyah Bennett also had 15 points and hit four three-pointers in the win. One of Bennett’s made three-pointers came from at least 25 feet away from the basket.

The Totems, who advanced to the Class 2A state tournament in Yakima last season before losing to East Valley (Spokane) and Lynden, have a vastly different roster this season.

“We did lose a lot of seniors and a lot of players from last year. We got to play with a lot more tenacity this year. This team is a lot scrappier,” Schick said. “They have to work for everything they get and have to play to the whistle every time. We have a good mental makeup and we’re starting to get there. KingCo (KingCo Conference) is going to be tough but it is going to prepare us for the postseason.”