Coach likes Falcons’ draw
Sprague-Harrington won’t enter this week’s Class 1B girls state basketball tournament like the 800-pound gorilla in the room it was last year.
Falcons coach Ed Shields hopes that means there won’t be a banana peel to slip on.
S-H takes its first step toward a state championship when it faces Entiat in the first round Wednesday night at 7:30 at the SunDome in Yakima.
Sprague-Harrington was 26-0 going into the 2006 state tournament but suffered a first-round defeat and settled for a fifth-place finish. Shields said his team’s 21-4 record isn’t an indication of a step back, but rather it’s a testimony to the caliber of competition the Falcons faced this year since switching to the Whitman County League.
It also should be noted that S-H still is unbeaten in games decided in regulation. Three of the Falcons’ losses were in overtime, Shields said. The fourth was in double overtime.
“Last year we went through the Bi-County League with a 26-point (average) win margin,” Shields said. “This year we got tested. I felt last year that even though we entered the state tournament 26-0, we were not playing our best basketball even though we were beating teams by 26. Your effort tends to drop down when things get easy. …
“In order to find your deficiencies as a team, you need to be challenged. In our losses, we found our weaknesses and are trying to get better. That’s one reason I think we’re better prepared this year than going into the state tournament a year ago.”
The Falcons finished the regular season ranked second in the state behind Curlew, but lost twice in the District 9 tournament and will be the district’s fourth seed at state.
Shields said the grind of playing five games in eight days fatigued his team.
The state champion will have to win four games in four days this week.
Shields said the fourth seed may turn out to be convenient. He likes the way the tournament bracket shapes up.
“A year ago we ended up winning the district championship and getting a worse draw,” Shields said.
“I felt last year we got a horrible draw. We had to go through Sunnyside Christian, La Salle and Mossy Rock to get to the championship game. …
“I’d rather take my draw than (Garfield-Palouse’s) right now. Gar-Pal has to go through Sunnyside Christian and Inchelium. We have Entiat, Lummi and Mary Knight to get there.”
Roni Jo Mielke averaged 25 points a game during the district tournament and is one of four returning starters from last year’s team. Committed to Saint Martin’s University, Mielke gives the Falcons a go-to player in crunch time.
“Sometimes it is too much of a relief and (her teammates) end up standing there watching her,” Shields said.
“I think personally – and I know I might be a little biased – she is one of the best players in the state of Washington at the 2A levels on down. I might even go to the 3A levels on down. …
“We just need to focus and have to stay active.
“There are times where we get a little lethargic and have to go after things. We have to keep our starters in the game and keep them out of foul trouble.
“We have to play hard and execute, and that will set us up nice for Saturday night.”