Central Valley guard’s ‘basketball IQ’ is high

That Camryn Skaife grew up to be an athlete comes as a surprise to no one.

Nor does the fact that she’s the kind of player who revels in the game and cares not one whit for personal statistics.

“I couldn’t tell you how many points I’ve scored,” she readily admits. “All that matters is that we win.”

Skaife is an integral part of what makes Central Valley such a successful team – a team that hasn’t lost a game in two years, is the defending state Class 4A girls basketball champion and the No. 1-ranked team in the state heading into this year’s state tournament.

The Bears start the tournament Saturday in Richland against Sunnyside.

“I’m just glad we’re playing someone different for a change,” the sophomore laughed.

It’s the kind of thing you believe when your parents both are successful college coaches.

Camryn Skaife is the daughter of Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Hall of Fame softball coach Jerry Skaife, himself a standout basketball player at Rogers High, Columbia Basin College and the University of Idaho. Her mother, Janet, was part of her husband’s first team at Spokane Falls Community College in 1985 and coached the Sasquatch for 18 seasons and coached girls basketball at Ferris.

“I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember,” Camryn said. “My little brother started when he was, like, in preschool and he plays every single sport he can.”

Basketball, she admits, is her first love.

Anyone who ever saw her mom play recognizes the fact that her daughter has her genes.

“I do get that a lot,” Camryn laughed. “I hear that all the time.”

And when you see her shoot, you know she comes by her natural release and innate sense of rhythm naturally – organically, even.

Skaife spearheads the smother defense that Central Valley has used to hold opponents to under 30 points per game on average. Offense? That’s just something you do when you aren’t playing defense.

“We’re all committed to playing defense first,” she explained. “Everything else comes out of playing good defense.”

It’s an old adage that CV has taken to heart: Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships.

The Lady Bears proved that point Friday in their subregional championship game with Gonzaga Prep.

Central Valley struggled to get the ball to fall through the net early in the game – missing three wide-open layups in the opening minutes. The fast break sputtered as the Bullpups pounced on telegraphed cross-court passes that nullified numerous opportunities.

No one glowered. No one hung their head. No one barked at a teammate.

The only reaction Central Valley had to each missed opportunity was to hitch up their shorts, drop into defensive position and get after the task of creating another opportunity to feed the offense.

“We’re all committed to playing defense,” Skaife said. “Every single one of us. We love getting after each other every day in practice. That’s what makes it so much fun.”

With both Hull sisters, Lacie and Lexie, struggling early at the offensive end, the Bears simply called another number.

Skaife’s number came up as the Bears rotated the ball around the perimeter and she responded by drilling home four wide-open 3-pointers.

When the shot is there, she said, she likes to shoot. She just doesn’t dwell on it all. If the shot is there, she will take it. If it’s not, she is just as happy to make a good pass to an open teammate.

It’s a trait you come to expect from the offspring of a successful coach – more so from a double lineage.

“She’s definitely a coach’s kid,” CV coach Freddie Rehkow said. “But I’ll be honest with you – all of our kids are like that. That’s the amazing thing about this group – they all have a very high basketball IQ”