The Auburn Riverside girls resumed the regular season Tuesday with a 78-36 victory over Thomas Jefferson in South Puget Sound League North Division play.

The Ravens (5-1 league, 7-3 overall) held the Raiders (4-2, 7-2) to just 14 first-half points and built onto their 45-14 lead at the intermission with 33 second-half points.

According to coach Ed Rosin, the win, coming on the heels of the Ravens’ 1-2 performance at the Riverside Invitational, marks another step in the ongoing process of the team finding its identity.

“We are definitely making strides in that direction,” Rosin said. “We’re finding out, especially in our losses, that we need to play defense, full-court and half-court. I think they’re starting to believe that we can’t go out and just outscore other teams.

“One of the knocks in the past on Riverside has been that they were a pure transition team, and that they couldn’t play in the half-court,” he added. “While we’re definitely a transition team, they are starting to realize the importance of execution in the half-court.”

The Ravens were led by junior Mercedes Wetmore’s 14 points, four steals and five assists.

Kara Jenkins added 12 points and Senior Amanda Thomson chipped in with 11 points.

“Amanda is just a consistent player, both offensive and defensively,” Rosin said. “I know exactly what I’m going to get from her.”

With just two games left in the first half of the regular season, Rosin said the team is looking to smooth out its rough spots and start making a run at a third consecutive state title.

“I think you can expect the same from us in the second half – full-court, transition, high-pressure play,” he said. “I think we’ll be a little more consistent. So far, we’re a little bit up and down right now.

“We’re pretty close to getting what we need from everybody,” Rosin added. “I’ve got three or four players who haven’t hit their stride yet and should soon. We’re preparing for a state tournament run.”

Lions drop close one

The Auburn Mountainview Lions (2-3 league, 4-5 overall) dropped a 40-37 decision to Enumclaw (4-0 league, 5-2 overall), despite holding a five-point lead after three quarters.

“Our lack of offensive execution and discipline hurt us down the stretch,” head coach Chris Carr said. “Give Enumclaw credit, they made the plays when they needed to and they deserved to win. I was very disappointed in our decision making and our overall selfishness down the stretch.”

The Lions were led by senior Stephanie Smolinski’s 14 points. Angel Pele, in just her second game back from injury this season, contributed 11 points.

“I think Angel being back is exciting,” Carr said. “Last night (this past Tuesday) she tried to do too much offensively. She knows we need her on the floor. What she needs to realize is that we need her in all aspects of the game, not just to score. It’s a process and she well continue to get better.”