Not To Drop Names, But Tourney Has Good Ones
State AAA notebook
First Stacy Clinesmith handled her future teammate, then Ferris handled the athletic prodigy. Only Lewis and Clark couldn’t handle the name game.
The Mead girls won their opener in the State AAA basketball tournament at Mercer Arena, blowing past Eastlake of Redmond 60-49.
Clinesmith, bound for UC Santa Barbara, had 23 points, easily out-distancing future teammate Shera Looney. The 6-foot-2 Looney had eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
“That’s probably one of the better post people we’ll see all tournament,” Mead coach Jeanne Helfer said.
Clinesmith was impressed.
“I think she’s pretty good,” she said. “I’m excited to play with her.”
Both players wore No. 25.
Enumclaw has some impressive names on its roster, but Ferris wasn’t impressed, shutting down the Hornets 43-24.
Valerie Nater, a 6-4 junior post, caught their attention during warmups, but the daughter of 6-11 Swen Nater, best known as Bill Walton’s backup at UCLA, doesn’t start and ended up with two points and three rebounds.
Sara Poe, a 5-5 junior guard, had more of an impact. The daughter of former Washington State and professional football player Tom Poe had two points and seven rebounds. Her 5-8 freshman sister Kristin is also on the team.
Mike Youngquist, a former Oregon State football player, has two daughters on the squad: Ellie, a 5-9 junior forward, and Britta, a 5-11 sophomore forward. Neither made an impact against the Saxons.
Mark Spink did make an impact against LC. The Tigers faced the 6-7 brother of former Gonzaga University forward Scott Spink, and though Mark’s numbers were relatively modest - 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocks - the Tigers knew he was there. A leaper like his brother, Mark altered shots and played a big role in LC shooting 34 percent in the Mariners’ 54-39 win.
Spink played junior varsity most of last season, but got plenty of experience over the summer as the Mariners played together on an AAU team that went 60-2. Spink averages 11 points.
Notes
The next good post Mead sees could be Mountain View junior Angelina Wolvert. She reportedly has narrowed her list of college choices from 130 to 20.
Tatum Brown, a 6-4 center for Foss, is headed for Arizona. Kent-Meridian guard Kristen Deal committed to Gonzaga.
The Mountain View girls entered the tournament with six wins by 50 or more points. That’s running it up, but the team of eight never scored more than 79 points. The Thunder thundered their competition in the southwestern part of the state by an average of 67-34. If Mountain View wins three more, the Thunder, 23-0, will be the first undefeated AAA girls team since Central Valley in 1993.
The high-powered Sehome boys were fourth in the State AA tournament last year. The Mariners are attempting to become the 12th AAA team to go undefeated. Evergreen of Vancouver did it last year, the first since Garfield in 1980.
The Enumclaw girls were third in the State AA tournament last year.
The Foss boys broke 90 points four times this year. It wasn’t done in the GSL once.
The Mount Vernon boys entered state with a 21-4 record, losing four times to Sehome - by 18, 13, 18 and 30.
The Decatur boys made it to state by winning eight of their last 10 games. Six were loser-out games.
The Bothell girls have won 13 of 14. The Cougars start two sophomores while two seniors, starters last year when the team made its first-ever state appearance, come off the bench.
, DataTimes