Prep profile: Garro’s love for basketball helps fuel Pullman’s success

It’s pretty apparent that Alyssa Garro loves basketball.

The Pullman senior will answer whatever question you throw her way, but where she really opens up is about being on the court and playing her favorite sport.

“I just love everything about it,” Garro said. “I love having a team you can pass to and how everyone plays together. (Basketball) is unlike any other sport. You really have to get to know your team and where everyone is at all times to be able to be a good team.”

The 5-foot-6 guard – also a varsity softball and volleyball player – is averaging 8.1 points a game.

The Greyhounds (17-0, 11-0 Great Northern League) are having a storybook year, outscoring opponents by an average of 30 points.

They placed third at last year’s State 2A tournament, losing to two-time defending champion King’s in the semifinals. King’s is now a 1A school and will not be around to defend its title.

But Pullman coach Mike Davis says none of that really matters.

“I think this team has demonstrated that they are willing to always get better,” Davis said. “We’re going to go out and play hard every night. We respect every opponent we play and we’re anticipating some real good basketball teams here in the next couple of weeks.”

For the 17-year-old Garro, winning big is an advantage of sorts.

“It’s fun playing because we really mesh,” Garro said. “I think it could help us (in the postseason) because our bench is getting a lot of time. Everyone is getting experience right now.”

While the challenges on the court haven’t been difficult, Garro said that keeping her grades and athletics balanced is her challenge.

“I have to keep up with school and try and stay together with that,” said Garro, who maintains a 3.2 grade-point average.

Though she won a state title in 2005 with the volleyball team, Garro’s fondest memories are in basketball, which she hopes to continue playing in college. After games and on weekends, the basketball team gets together for team dinners and Guitar Hero (a PS2 game).

Davis said that Garro is critical in the team’s success.

“Alyssa epitomizes much of what we’re trying to teach girls and what kind of people we want them to be,” Davis said. “She’s an extremely hard worker. She’s tough as dirt, plays hard and is fundamentally sound. She brings some intangibles that are required to have a good basketball team.

“We just take one game at a time and prepare hard. Our destiny is still to be determined.”