Confident sophomore ready to lead Spartans
When Priest River takes the court today against American Falls in the opening round of the State 3A girls basketball tournament, it will rely on a relative newcomer to run the offense.
It’s a good thing for the Spartans that sophomore point guard Tabitha Clark has all the confidence of a seasoned veteran.
Clark, who helped Priest River upset top seed Bonners Ferry to earn the District I title last week, said she and her teammates have the benefit of experience, having made it to state for the third time in as many years.
“Everybody is just so excited about going to the state tournament,” said Clark, who leads the Spartans in scoring, with just under 13 points per game, while averaging 3.5 assists per game. “Everybody thinks we have a good chance of winning it this year because we’ve all seen what those teams are like already.
“We’re not really very nervous – just excited.”
She said that the big win over Bonners earned her team more than just a trophy and a berth.
“It definitely gave us some momentum,” said Clark of the 18-point victory that included a 23-point third quarter. “We were pretty confident going in, but what we were focusing on was working as a team.
“We set three goals and try to accomplish them every game: out-rebound, out-hustle and everybody make it to the free-throw line.”
She said team chemistry is right where it needs to be, thanks in large part to a “Dr. Phil”-style exercise put on by Spartans coach Jamie Pancho.
“At practice one day, we had a team-bonding day where we all could tell everybody everything,” Clark said. “We learned how to trust each other and it felt like we became more of a team.”
The scouting report on American Falls is a little intimidating, but Clark sticks to the mantra that got her team this far.
“They’re supposed to be pretty big,” Clark said. “And they have a really good point guard that drives and passes and a lot of good 3-point shooters, so we have to watch that.
“As long as we can stick to our game plan – out-hustle, out-rebound and get to the free-throw line, we should be fine.”