Mt. Spokane girls make history in 3A

ELLENSBURG – The Mt. Spokane Wildcats made history Saturday evening, qualifying for the girls 3A State basketball tournament for the first time, defeating Auburn Mountainview 56-43 in a state regional game at Ellensburg High School.

The Wildcats (14-10) will find out their first-round Tacoma Dome opponent Sunday when the WIAA conducts its draw in Renton. The Wildcats will play next on Thursday.

“We’ve been saying all week we have a chance to make history,” first year coach Davis Pratt said with a smile while his players posed for photos with fans and members of the school’s boisterous pep band. “We told them to set that aside for today and take things one step at a time.”

While the state experience is new for the players, Pratt has been there. He took Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls to state four times in his six years as head coach.

Pratt said he knew from watching film that slowing down Mountainview freshman point guard Taylor Flores was the key to taking down the Lions. Flores did score 13 points but was harassed all night by the guards in Mt. Spokane’s zone defense.

That zone was a huge problem for the Lions in the first period as M. Spokane opened a 19-10 lead. With senior center Megan Nisson directing traffic with the awareness of the elite soccer goalie she also is, the Lions were limited to just one basket in the paint.

Brianna Zaragoza-Jones – Mountainview’s leading scorer – got untracked in the second period, scoring six of her game-high 17 points as the Lions closed the deficit to four – 27-23 – at the half.

The Wildcats early scoring was balanced with Nisson and Jaidyn Lymon scoring five each and Jordan Smith six.

After a halftime reminder from Pratt to fight through ballscreens on defense and control the defensive rebounds, Mt. Spokane finally pulled away in the second half. Aspyn Adams had consecutive 3-pointers spanning the end of the third period and the beginning of the fourth to give the Wildcats a 44-34 lead. They were never in danger after that.

“We told the kids they had a chance to make a lasting impression,” Pratt said. “Today, they did.”