By John Leggett | The Courier-Herald

The 9-3 Sumner High girls basketball team’s hot streak continued with a Jan. 26, 62-39 victory over Clover Park, thanks in part to a 22-point night from junior guard Erika Olsen, but came to a halt Friday when the Spartans fell 42-36 to Auburn Mountainview.

Friday, the Spartans got off on the wrong foot as, for the first time in two seasons, they put up a goose for their first-quarter efforts. “I was really proud of the way we stayed with Auburn Mountainview after that and came back to make a ball game of it though,” coach Robert Thayer said.

“We got into foul trouble late in the game trying to defend their twin towers,” Thayer said, singling out Stephanie Smolinski, who Sumner didn’t see the first time around due to her broken hand.

“Auburn Mountainview is just an entirely different team with her in there,” Thayer said. “Checking Smolinski is a full-time job in and of itself.”

Although Sumner’s Kaitlin King and Olsen tallied a combined 22 points, the 6 foot, 2 inch Smolinski scored 15 points in addition sweeping the glass clean with 14 rebounds.

Half of the third-place Spartans’ remaining four league contests will be against teams ahead of them in the standings.

The Spartans traveled to Lakes High Tuesday, with results coming too late to report here.

Sumner hosts 2-11 Franklin Pierce Friday, will visit the 15-2 White River Hornets Tuesday and will host Bonney Lake Feb. 12.