The Renton Redhawks girls basketball team advanced to the 2A KingCo championship for the second year in a row after a win over Foster 50-30 Feb. 7.

The girls are now on a four-game win streak dating back to Jan. 25 and it is their second longest of the season.

Newly crowned KingCo 2A Coach of the Year, Tim White, liked the girls’ effort during the win. “They’re laser-focused,” White said.

It was a complete win for the Redhawks, the trouble tonight was a slow start. Renton only scored seven points in the first quarter.

“We’re a better team on the road,” said Assistant Coach Earl Cheatham. “We came out a little flat in the beginning but we turned it on once we relaxed, and once that happened we do what we do.”

A key to doing what the Redhawks do is “adjustments, we just had to make our adjustments and once we did that we were alright,” Coach White said.

Defensively there was a bit more focus on the little things that the Bulldogs were doing. “They made a commitment as individuals and as a team to get better,” White said.

And those adjustments paid off, Renton would score 32 points over the next two quarters and played exceptional defense.

“They want to win, they want their championships. They want to get to Yakima and place and maybe take first place,” White said.

By the end of the third quarter, the game seemed out of reach for the Foster Bulldogs. The play from Renton seniors: Jesselle Victo, Kimarah Crockett, Aahmani Washington and Nyachang Luok put the Bulldogs away. Their quality of play is something that is evidence of their hard work and dedication and that is something the coaching staff values a lot, White said.

“We’ll coach them, but we also just let them play,” said Coach White. “We’ve watched them grow and mature.”

The one challenge that came out of the game against Foster was last in the fourth quarter a jump ball was called, which was followed by a shove from a Foster player resulting in three technical fouls called.

The Renton fouls were called on Victo and Lidya Kendanemariam, who were both consequently ejected. The player who started the altercation with Foster was allowed to stay in the game. If the suspension is held on Victo who was tossed for stepping on the court, Renton could face some adversity in their next game. “We’re going to appeal,” White said.

Renton takes on Sammamish Thursday, Feb. 9, for a third time this season. The two teams have been the standout best teams in the league and for a second straight year, they face off for the title.

“We wouldn’t want to have it any other way,” Cheatham said.

Renton boys and girls face Sammamish in a doubleheader on Feb. 9 girls start at 6:30 p.m. and the boys tip off at 8:15 p.m.