A Grip on Sports: The 1980s were a great decade for movies and the pinnacle for EWU women’s basketball, until now
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is some thought out there, floating in the ether, that everything in the universe demands balance. If that’s truly the case, and Mr. Miyagi is again to be proved correct, then Eastern Washington’s win last night was fated. As would be a Washington State Pac-12 title, the quest for which starts tonight.
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• Much of our life philosophy comes from “The Karate Kid.” Either version.
Which, we guess, makes the EWU women’s basketball program Daniel LaRusso. Knocked around for years by the bullies in the Big Sky, the Eagles haven’t flown into the NCAA Tournament since three years after Daniel crane-kicked Johnny Lawrence to the mat and won the All-Valley. That would be 1987 for Eastern, if you don’t know.
And, now, 2024.
What do you think? Will we find out Joddie Gleason keeps bonsai trees in her garden or has a secret past? Probably not. Instead, Eastern’s coach has shown a willingness to grow a successful culture, trimming when needed, opening her program to new growth when that is called for. The formula has worked.
In the three years since she was hired, Gleason’s team has been building for last night. Boise. The Big Sky final. A NCAA berth on the line. On the other bench, Northern Arizona, experienced, hungry, playing in its third consecutive final, looking for its first win.
None of the history mattered. Not to an Eastern group that was ready for the moment. Ready to write its own script. It didn’t have to be Karate Kid-good, only better than the flameouts of the past almost 40 years. It certainly was.
Yet, despite a stellar effort from Lewis and Clark High’s Jacinta Buckley, with 29 points and 11 rebounds, the Eagles still needed a rally to earn their second all-time NCAA berth. They got it.
It took until the fourth quarter to lead. But what is it coaches love to say? It isn’t about how you start, it’s how you finish? Well, Eastern finished off the Lumberjacks in the final few minutes, pulling away for a 73-64 victory and the obligatory celebration.
Their first since, well since, Gleason was in high school. And Daniel LaRusso was making the rounds at the dollar theaters.
• The Eagles’ victory balances the tournament championship slate among the area’s women’s basketball teams. Now Washington State gets its turn to equal things for the men.
Up first tonight in Las Vegas is Stanford, the perennial middle-of-the-Pac program – except for one stretch early this century – playing, it seems, to keep its coach, Jerod Haase, in place as it joins the ACC. Man, that’s a long way to say the Cardinal seemed motivated.
At least for the final few minutes and overtime against rival California on Wednesday. Otherwise, the bags looked packed for Cancun. For the team and for Haase. Instead, they rallied and now face a team with its own baggage.
This is new territory for the 22nd-ranked Cougars. The favorite in a Pac-12 tournament game. Heck, one of two favorites, along with sixth-ranked Arizona, to win the conference’s final automatic NCAA berth.
How has Washington State done in this tournament over the years? Downright awful. Since the tourney began in, yep, 1987, the Cougars have won exactly eight games. Eight. Ok, so the tourney was on hiatus between 1990 and 2002, but eight? C’mon.
They are among only three schools who have never won the thing. Heck, they’ve never made the final, and in that the Cougs stand alone. They made the semifinals in 1988, 2007 and 2008. Those are their best showings.
Yes, every team is different. So is every year. But history is a 99-pound suitcase when you are trying to do something new. It’s what WSU is toting into tonight’s quarterfinal (6, Pac-12 Networks).
Can Kyle Smith’s squad get everything stowed away and take off? If it does, the next landing spot will be a high seed. And a long NCAA run.
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WSU: As we said, the Cougars face a new type of pressure tonight and this week. Greg Woods does a great job in articulating it in this preview. … The Cardinal’s rally was all the rage in the Bay Area. As in there was a collective yawn over the 87-76 overtime win. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner has his Best in the West awards in the Mercury News. … John Canzano has his thoughts on the final tournament. … The Mike Hopkins “era” is over at Washington. The Huskies lost to surging USC 80-74 in the tournament’s first round. … The Trojans will face Arizona today in a rematch of a recent upset in Los Angeles. It isn’t easiest opener for the Wildcats. … Oregon State fell to UCLA, though that didn’t change Scott Barnes’ mind. The OSU AD announced Ferris High grad Wayne Tinkle will be back to lead the team into the WCC next season. … The Bruins’ 67-57 win lifted them into today’s quarterfinal against Oregon. … Utah boat-raced an Arizona State team that seems ready for a new beginning. The Utes, 90-57 winners, will match up with Mountain foe Colorado one more time before they both move to the Big 12. … The Oregon State women are peaking at the right time. … With Gonzaga’s loss, Colorado feels it is good shape for a four-seed and hosting duties. … In football news, we have more stories from Oregon as the Ducks prepare for spring practice. … Utah is deep into its practice with some familiar faces stepping up. … Oregon State has some of those as well. … Colorado has a new defensive coordinator. … UCLA has an NFL-heavy new staff.
Gonzaga: The memory of the 69-60 loss to Saint Mary’s is still fresh. At least for Theo Lawson, who rewinds what happened in the WCC title game. … Greg Lee’s notebook delves into the chance the women will still host the first couple rounds as a top-four seed. It could happen but we’re pretty sure the NCAA would rather have another pod in the Midwest. … Andrew Nembhard is doing well, thank you.
EWU: We have John Blanchette’s game story on the Eagle win over Northern Arizona to pass along, which makes us happy. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, we always enjoyed our visits with Matt Logie when he was Whitworth’s head coach. And expected great things down the road. That time is here as he led Montana State into the NCAA Tournament with an 85-70 victory in the men’s title game over rival Montana. It is Logie’s first year in Bozeman and he had to rebuild from scratch.
Mariners: The M’s bullpen is a mess right now. It will get better but the first part of the season could be rough. … Seattle played its best game of the spring and rolled a Dodger team that starts the season a week earlier than every one else.
Seahawks: So long, once again, Bobby Wagner. The veteran linebacker, and a Seahawk Hall of Famer someday, signed with Washington. … The Hawks’ free agent signings, and roster changes, are coming quicker now.
Kraken: Seattle needs to be more aggressive down the stretch.
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• We started way late today. A variety of reasons, but we had to work at the speed of a North Carolina fastbreak to get everything done. We probably had a few turnovers on the way, ones that won’t show up in the box score until you let us know. Until later …