The Queen B Davenport Star Jennifer Stinson Drops Curtain On Four Years Of Tourney Memories

When Jennifer Stinson is unable to conjure up a favorite basketball moment, Jim Stinson supplies the memory.

A few minutes after excusing himself, Jim Stinson inserts a cassette into the VCR. While her father forwards the tape, Jennifer guesses what part of her storied career is about to be replayed.

But Jim Stinson selects a scene from March 1989, when 12-year-old Jennifer appears on the court only to hug big brother Andy, the star of the night for Northwest Christian’s boys title team.

Young Jennifer, wiping away tears, shows more emotion for NWC’s State B championship than she has typically shown during four years and 100-plus wins at Davenport High.

That scene in the Stinson family living room (from which, through the window, one can see Davenport High across the street) illustrated the complex but rich relationship between Jim and Jennifer Stinson.

When judging the Stinsons, it is important to keep in mind several factors:

Washington Class B basketball venues have been hallowed ground to Jim Stinson for more than 20 years.

Jim and wife Judy are their children’s staunchest supporters.

If there is a line between Jim Stinson, Jennifer’s father, and Jim Stinson, Jennifer’s coach, many people have a hard time detecting it.

Jennifer truly seems unaffected by all of her athletic accomplishments at Davenport High, even the staterecord 2,760 career points she has scored to eclipse the former mark of 2,753 by Kate Starbird of Lakes High.

“I don’t think there is a favorite moment,” Jennifer said before her father loaded the VCR. “I can’t even remember half of them.”

During her three-plus years in Lincoln County, Jennifer has transformed Davenport into a trophy factory.

Over the years, the boys at Davenport have made 12 excursions to the State B Tournament without winning a title.

Jennifer’s Gorillas have been to three consecutive title games, and won twice.

Jennifer has also won two state high jump championships and led Davenport to one state volleyball title.

Because of Jennifer’s slight build around a 6-foot-1 frame, she and her parents feared that Division I college basketball players would push her around.

For that reason, the Stinsons chose volleyball and track as Jennifer’s college sports. Of the nearly 150 colleges that recruited Jennifer, Washington State University won the paper chase.

Although many people expect Jim to retire from coaching when Jennifer graduates, he claims to be undecided. He said any decision would be based more on his health than on Jennifer’s departure. Jim Stinson has diabetes.

The thought of the State B Tournament without a Stinson is akin to picturing Davenport without silos.

“Jim came home from his first B tournament (in 1973) and said, ‘I’m going to write a book about it,”’ said Judy Stinson.

Jim Stinson, an Illinois native who came to Spokane by way of Montana, had never seen a 16-team, double-elimination tournament with such an attractive atmosphere.

A research junkie, Stinson started investigating the 40-plus years of B’s. The result was the 1976 publication of “Tournament Fever,” which was updated in 1980.

The original “Tournament Fever” came out before Jennifer was born. She would eventually rewrite the book, so to speak.

“For us, it’s been great setting records,” Jim said, “but we haven’t been out chasing records.

“I kind of control how many points she scores, but I don’t shoot for her… . If the opportunity is there, I think it’s something you have to try to do.”

Stinson began his teaching/coaching career at NWC in 1980. His ‘81 and ‘82 teams qualified for state behind Keith Dyk.

Dyk was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer during his junior year. Despite the sapping disease, Dyk came within four points of a State B Tournament record when he scored 50 during an ‘82 game.

Stinson was accused afterward of running up the score - the same charge he has faced with Jennifer. Stinson admitted that he wanted Dyk to break the record of Tenino’s Gordon Harris - a feat wellchronicled in “Tournament Fever.”

Little Jennifer served as the cheerleader/ mascot for Dyk’s teams. In honor of Dyk, she has always worn No. 42 for Davenport.

Dyk died in January 1991, when Jim was halfway through his only season of coaching Springdale’s girls. Jennifer was still at NWC.

Jim had left NWC for financial reasons. His oldest son, Mark, coached the NWC girls before becoming an assistant at TekoaOakesdale this year. When Jennifer needs advice on shooting, she seeks out Mark. Andy showed her all of the post moves.

Jennifer came within one year of playing for NWC. Jim’s hiring by Davenport was the Crusaders’ loss and the Gorillas’ gain.

“It was a great situation,” Jim Stinson said. “(Davenport) just needed a big girl.”

“I already knew (current Davenport teammate) Andee Marriott,” Jennifer said. “I went to one of (Andee’s sister) Stacia’s games, and I liked it. The thing I liked about Davenport is that it’s not far from Spokane.”

Davenport and Spokane have been linked the past four years by the B tournament.

During this year’s four-day event - perhaps in the opener - Jennifer will become the leading scorer in girls State B Tournament history. She needs 19 points to surpass the 318 of Creston’s Tammy Tibbles.

Jim has chronicled each of Jennifer’s games, in fine detail. He always knows Jennifer’s exact career points and what her season average is.

Jim has produced a chart to prove why Jennifer is a better player than Creston’s Tammy Tibbles, the player whose State B record Jennifer is about to eclipse. The chart’s main point is that Tibbles shot much more than Jennifer.

The Stinson hallway and Jim’s den in the basement are shrines to his children’s exploits.

Jennifer doesn’t have the same passion about her basketball play. “I’m sure I’ll look at that stuff when I get older,” is her line.

“My brother will call and ask, ‘When are you going to play? When does the bus leave?’ I say, ‘I don’t know. Somebody will tell me when we have to leave,”’ Jennifer said.

Jim has been accused of living through his daughter, protecting her and using his position as coach to pad her numbers.

“I’m less sensitive about the (final) score than I used to be,” Jim said. “My team is my problem and the other team is their problem.

“I hope nobody’s been offended around here for the way I’ve favored her. Obviously, if she wasn’t my daughter and I didn’t give her the ball as much as I have, I’d be a pretty stupid coach.”

Regarding charges that she is manipulated by her dad, Jennifer said, “I think he knows what I’m thinking. He can say it as well as I can. If he’s wrong, I’ll correct him. He’s sort of like a business manager.”

As with each of the past three seasons, Davenport has played the regular season with its sights set on district and state matchups with St. George’s. The two have met for the last four district titles and last three state titles.

“But this year is kind of like our first year (1992), when we were underdogs and people really didn’t know about us,” Jennifer said.

MEMO: This is a sidebar that appeared with the story: Through the years Stinson’s scoring totals through Feb. 25: Season, school Total points Ave. 1991-92, Davenport 519 17.9 1992-93, Davenport 699 23.3 1993-94, Davenport 752 25.1 1994-95, Davenport 790 30.4 Career 2,760 24.0 Honor roll Other all-time Washington girls’ leaders: 2. Kate Starbird, 1990-93, Lakes, 2,753 points; 3. Tammy Tibbles, 1981-84, Creston, 2,569 points.

The following fields overflowed: SECTION = 1995 STATE B BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT