MOUNT VERNON — The four Skagit Valley College men’s basketball team starters waiting to check at the scorers table were visibly anxious to get another shot at the Seattle Storm.

When they did finally get back on the floor at the end of a 23-6 Seattle run, they quickly made up for lost time, leading the Cardinals to a 99-91 victory over the Storm.

The win puts the Cardinals at 2-0 in Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges North Division play and 7-5 overall.

“It’s a good start,” sophomore Trent Leach said. “Getting that win up at Whatcom (last Saturday) was huge for us.”

In the game’s final nine minutes, from the point where the bulk of the starting five checked in, the Cardinals outscored the Storm 31-15. By the six-minute mark, they had erased a 76-68 deficit and taken the lead for good.

The 35-second shot clock rarely dipped into the teens as both teams raced up and down the floor in a pace the Cardinals said afterward probably favored the visitors.

The lead swung back and forth just as fast, changing hands 15 teams in the game. The score was also tied nine times.

“This was a little sloppier than we like,” Leach said. “Normally we’re a better defensive team than this. We’ll get back to work on that. We lost our defensive toughness, and we’ll have to get that back.”

The Cardinals’ biggest lead actually came earlier in the second half, at 62-53 with 15:32 remaining, but Seattle promptly went on a 12-point run and built the lead to eight before the Cardinals could bounce back.

“That’s the most points we’ve given up,” Cardinals coach Roger Valentine said of Seattle’s final total. “We went back to the starters and they lifted us. Give credit to North Seattle, they played tough.”

Leach finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds, making 13 of his 18 attempts from the field. Daniel Davidson finished with 23, doing most of his damage at the free-throw line, where he hit 13-of-16. Chas Kok had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Anwar Asadi scored 24 points on 12-of-16 shooting for the Storm (0-1, 3-8). Wil Bush added 21 points, hitting five 3-pointers in the process.

“Our defense was atrocious,” Seattle coach Kyle Gray said. “It really let us down. For the most part, that’s been the strength of our team night in and night out. Offensively, we were sharp.”

• Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at