Family’s court

Game? What game?

After countless hours of one-on-one battles in the driveway and even more pushing each other to be the best, Spokane sisters Jami and Angie Bjorklund are on opposite sides for the first time in a game that means more than a pencil mark on the garage wall.

Jami’s Gonzaga Bulldogs are in Knoxville to tackle No. 1 Tennessee on Sunday, where freshman Angie starts alongside four players who were starters last spring when the Lady Volunteers won the NCAA Championship.

“I’m more excited to see her,” Angie said of Jami in a morning telephone interview. “I haven’t seen her since August.”

Later the same day, Jami echoed her sister’s sentiment: “I’m excited to see her more than anything.”

The notion that they may guard each other was an afterthought.

Said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt of Angie: “We’ll have to get her attention on that situation before game time.”

But both girls are ready for the possibility.

“I usually guard the 2-3 position, that’s what she plays,” Angie said. “I’m not nervous, I’m excited. Her guarding me, that’s a different story. She’s one of the best defensive players I’ve played one-on-one. She knows my game. … That makes me a little nervous.”

The final result is secondary to the family.

“I’ve been around basketball for 53 years, I don’t think it matters so much who wins this one,” grandmother Deanna Ranniger said. “I just want it to be respectful, and I think it will be. It’s going to be a good game; grandma said so.”

Mostly, the game will celebrate what the girls have accomplished, said Steve Ranniger, who helped coach his nieces’ summer teams.

“It’s really nice,” said Ranniger, who played for University High School and the University of Oregon. “I don’t think about things Angie needs to work on, she’s in good hands. I felt the same way when Jami went to Gonzaga. I can just enjoy the game.”

Back in the day, when the girls battled one-on-one, Jami was queen of the court.

“That’s where Angie had to get a little more finesse and get some more moves,” said her father, Jim. “Angie got the outside shot because she couldn’t take it inside against her taller, bigger sister.”

Games to 20 would go to 30 because the sister behind wouldn’t quit. Then 40. And 50.

“They played one-on-one by ones, sometimes up to 100,” Jim said. “Neither one of them would back down to the other if they wanted to play. One would storm into the house and I’d say, ‘Don’t let her beat you.’ She’d go back out and slam the door. It was pretty fierce.”

Angie said Jami won “every time.”

“She was 3 inches taller, stronger. She definitely helped me by being competitive with me. I would get lucky every now and then and hit a few threes.”

As they got older, leading the University Titans and the Spokane Stars club team, the individual games ended and their time together was spent helping each other hone skills.

It is that bond, which transcends their competitive nature, that led Summitt to agree to a home-and-home series that will bring Angie back to Spokane next season when Jami is a senior.

“I wanted to be able to allow Angie and Jami to play against each other,” Summitt said. “I thought it would be neat if we could make that happen.”

That’s when their competitive juices began to flow.

Angie has played in GU’s open gym sessions for years, and she won’t hesitate to tell her teammates any secrets that will help.

“They’re going to completely know my game and I know theirs,” she said. Jami didn’t pause when asked if she would pass on tips to help stop her talented sister: “Yes, of course; whatever we can do to stop Tennessee. We want to win.”

That makes the girls’ parents, who will be at the game, a little edgy.

“I wouldn’t classify it as a dream come true, at all,” said their mom, Kris. “Honestly, I’m just happy they’re happy playing where they’re at. I want both teams to do great, but I want Jami and Angie to do really great. I want it all to be a happy place. I don’t even want to talk about winning and losing.”

“The only thing I hope for is they both have a good game,” said Jim. “I hope they don’t guard each other for very long if they do. It would be interesting to see for a while, but not the whole game.”

He’s already seen the results when that happens.