Draw Appeals To St. George’s
When all was said and done after the WIAA/U.S. Bank State B Girls Basketball Tournament drawing at the Ridpath Hotel Sunday, St. George’s coach Ross Thomas was one of the happiest people in the hotel’s Empire Ballroom.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it,” Thomas said.
If three of the state’s top five teams were in the opposite bracket as you were, you’d be smiling to.
No. 1 Wishkah Valley (26-0), No. 2 Davenport (25-1), and No. 4 St. JohnEndicott (22-2) are in the upper bracket with the Dragons (24-2) in the lower bracket.
St. George’s and Davenport were tied for No. 2 in the last state rankings, but after Davenport’s 55-51 win against them Saturday, the Dragons will fall behind the Gorillas in the new ratings.
There will be some mean basketball on view Wednesday and Thursday at Spokane Falls Community College.
Davenport plays at 9 a.m. against Bridgeport-Mansfield (17-6). Game two, at 10:30, features Rainier (19-5) against Watson Groen Christian (20-3) in a rematch from last year.
In game three, St. John Endicott’s Eagles face No. 8 Wilbur-Creston (23-4) at noon.
“That’s a serious first-round game,” said Eagles coach Lorin Carlon. He ought to know about tough games early on. Last year, the Eagles lost to Davenport 48-34 in round two.
Game four will pit Wishkah Valley against Clallam Bay (17-6) at 1:30 p.m.
“If anyone knows how to shut that big team down, have them call me,” Bruins coach Mike Jannausch said.
That’s a reference to the Loggers skyline of Sissel Pierce (6-5), Mindy McElliott (6-0), Crystal Teague (6-0) and Pierce’s not-so-little sister, Abbie (6-3). The Pierces have blocked close to 200 opposing shots this season.
In the night session, Thomas’ Dragons open against Seattle Lutheran (16-7) at 5. That will be followed by Tekoa-Oakesdale (19-9) playing No. 7 Mossyrock (21-3) at 6:30.
Darrington (15-9) will play No. 5 Manson (21-2) at 8 and Morton (19-8) will face No. 6 Klickitat (25-1) at 9:30.
For the curious, the upper-bracket teams have combined records of 169-27 compared to 160-41 for the lower-bracket.
To Davenport coach Jim Stinson, it doesn’t matter much at this point who his Gorillas play or where.
“It’s a good and tough bracket,” Stinson said. “In the state tournament, if you’re going to do it, beat the best. It doesn’t matter who we play.”
Circumstances beg Thomas to differ. When guard Cherea Davis had her season end due to a knee injury just recently, the team’s depth suffered a setback.
“We’re small and fast,” Thomas said. “All year long, our defensive press has allowed us to get out to big leads early. But the press wears on them. We don’t have to face some of the top teams early and that is clearly to our advantage.”
xxxx STATE B GIRLS Wednesday’s opening-round games at Spokane Falls CC: 9 a.m.: Bridgeport-Mansfield (17-6) vs. Davenport (25-1) 10:30: Rainier (19-5) vs. Watson Groen Christian (20-3) Noon: Wilbur-Creston (23-4) vs. St. John-Endicott (22-2) 1:30: Clallam Bay (17-6) vs. Wishkah Valley (26-0) 5: St. George’s (24-2) vs. Seattle Lutheran (16-7) 6:30: Tekoa-Oakesdale (19-9) vs. Mossyrock (21-3) 8: Darrington (15-9) vs. Manson (21-2) 9:30: Morton (19-8) vs. Klickitat (25-1)