West Valley team, fans again heading for 3A tourney

The West Valley basketball community, said boys coach Jamie Nilles, travels well. That makes the fact the Eagles are playing in their fourth State 3A tournament in seven years doubly satisfying.

“It’s great for the community,” he said. “We do such a great job of traveling and getting support from the community, it’s a good time for everybody.”

The Eagles are a basketball school. Entering Wednesday’s tourney opener in Tacoma, the Eagles have won 75 percent of their games (129-43) during Nilles’ tenure and over the past two decades have a 73 percent success rate.

They qualified for back-to-back state tournaments in 1999 and 2000, finishing sixth the second year after reaching the semifinals, and were fifth in 2003.

This year the Eagles (20-3 before their game with White River Wednesday) compiled their third 20-win season for Nilles en route to state, perhaps unexpected considering the youth of the team.

“I don’t know if anybody expected us to do as well as we have this year,” Nilles said. “We did OK in league, but didn’t know about regionals or state.”

He calls this year’s squad, with only four seniors, a “chameleon.”

“We’re good at adapting at what we do with other teams,” he said.

It may mean uptempo or half-court play, man-to-man or zone defenses. And it has been defense that sets the tone of a game for the Eagles.

Last weekend in their 50-47 win over Hanford for the regional title, the pressure led to a 13-3 start and it was an uphill struggle for the Falcons, who said in the Tri-City Herald they had a bad game.

“If that’s the case, 20 teams had bad games against us,” said Nilles. “I think we shell-shocked them by how quick we are.”

It all started, he said, with junior point guard Arton Toussaint, who bothered Hanford into nine steals and set up WV’s offense. And though the Eagles didn’t shoot particularly well, they had 25 offensive rebounds. Junior E.J. Richardson scored 25 points.

The result is another trip for the WV community.

“We have to go over and show them we can play ball,” Nilles said. “A little school like ours just wants to compete. If anything we’re hoping our style’s going to cause the other teams problems.”

Titans continue on

In good games and bad, University boys basketball coach Marty Jessett has repeated his belief that the Titans are a good team.

Friday night the Titans continue their quest for their first state trip in 20 years in the ConAgra Foods/Lamb Weston 4A regional basketball tournament.

“We have to play solid because we’re going to have to beat a couple good teams,” said Jessett following U-Hi’s 44-27 win over Shadle Park for third in the District 8 tournament and its first regional berth since 1997.

Any of six, he speculated, including three from the Big Nine are capable of earning the four state berths.

Tuesday night the Titans (17-7) lost 64-49 to Pasco in the tourney opener, Calvin Jurich and Inderbir Gill combining for 32 points, and play Richland 7 p.m. at Gonzaga University’s Martin Centre.

U-Hi just missed reaching the district title game, losing 77-73 in three overtimes to Gonzaga Prep.

“We just didn’t make free throws,” said Jessett.

The Titans led 52-46, but missed the second of two free throws with 43 seconds and a one-and-one with 26 seconds to go that left an opening for two 3-point Bullpups baskets.

“I actually thought we managed the clock pretty well in regulation against Prep and were in a position to close the game out,” said Jessett. “Again, if we had made those free throws….”

A total of six points (and four overtimes) separated the Titans and Bullpups in four games this year.

“We’re two evenly matched teams,” said Jessett. “We have a great team and so do they.”

A loss can be good

All good things must come to an end, but University girls basketball coach Mark Stinson isn’t lamenting the Titans’ first loss, last Friday to Lewis and Clark for the District 8 championship.

“It’s a long, long season,” Stinson said. “The longer you go without losing the more you might be running away from reality.”

The ultimate goal is a return trip to state and to be playing for a trophy on March 12. They are a game away.

Both U-Hi and the Tigers are 22-1 and advanced to the semifinals of the regional playoffs with wins Tuesday over Kennewick and Kamiakin respectively.

Ten Titans scored in their 74-38 win and five had 3-point baskets.

University had beaten LC for the Greater Spokane League championship, before losing 63-52 in the district title game.

“This time of year you can only focus on the game in front of you,” said Stinson. “But everything is so close you can’t help but think ahead. I think that’s where experience comes in having done this. It should help us.”

The Titans play Eisenhower (also 22-1) at 4 p.m. Friday in Martin Centre at GU for a state trip and spot in the regional finals.

Scotties at State

The Freeman boys are making their annual state trip. This year they’re joined by the girls, who last were there in 2000.

The Scotties boys (21-2) played Wednesday’s nightcap in Yakima against Seattle Academy (12-9). The girls (20-2), who compiled their best record, played Zillah (15-9) in an afternoon game.

Both teams won league and district and each has depth. Malcolm Soelberg is the only double figures scorer for the boys at 16.2 per game, but eight others are averaging between 6.0 and 9.0 per game.

Jessica DePell leads the girls with an average hovering near 15.0 per game and Ashlee Taylor averaged more than 10 during the regular season. Claire Moberg has been on fire the last seven games of the season scoring at a near-11.0 point clip.