Storm’s repeat complete

Squalicum tops B-E behind Greene’s 24 ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Squalicum’s victory Saturday could’ve been met with a no-kidding indifference, but this was no rubber-stamp coronation for the Class 2A pre-tournament favorites.

Needing to lean on every ounce of experience, and a (nearly) perfect Storm player, Squalicum managed to hold off a determined Burlington-Edison squad, winning 67-63 Saturday night in the SunDome.

“Nothing beats this feeling,” said senior Storm guard Derek Dickerson, the tournament MVP. “This is the way the seniors wanted to go out.”

Dickerson certainly left his mark, scoring nine of his 11 points in the second half, but it was senior forward Michael Green who had the biggest say in this victory.

The 6-foot-5 Green made 10 of 11 shots en route to a team-best 24 points. He scored 11 points in a 24-14 surge spanning the third and fourth quarters that allowed Squalicum to shake free from a 38-all tie.

“He’s a big, strong kid and a good finisher,” Burlington-Edison coach Rick Skeen said of Green, who also grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds.

Squalicum (26-1) becomes the first 2A team to win back-to-back state championships since Luke Ridnour’s Blaine teams in 1999 and 2000, although B-E could’ve just as easily been the team holding up the trophy.

“The kids fought hard and executed the game plan,” said Skeen, whose team lost in the title game for the third straight season and second straight time to Squalicum.

What the Tigers (22-5) did Saturday was all the more impressive considering they suffered a 27-point loss to the Storm just one week ago.

Evan Coulter led the way with 25 points and Colin Stewart added 16, but it was one dry spell early in the fourth that doomed B-E.

Down 49-47 after a Coulter free throw 34 seconds into the final period, the Tigers missed their next seven shots over a 4-minute span as Squalicum pushed the lead to 56-47.

“We’ve always had confidence in our offense,” Green said, “but when we get stops, were a dangerous team.”

The Tigers made one last run, getting within 62-59 with 22.9 seconds left, but the Storm made 5 of 6 free throws from there to close it out.

“Our motto this year was ‘Play hard and play as one,’” Dickerson said. “We stayed together and kept our poise.”

One More Time for Squalicum, B-E

YAKIMA, Wash. — Entering this Class 2A state boys tournament, the conventional wisdom was that a rematch of last season’s title clash was almost inevitable.

Friday afternoon in the SunDome, Burlington-Edison easily punched their third straight trip to the championship game, cruising past Lynden 72-51, and leaving it up to Squalicum to seal the deal.

And not even a spectacular effort by Ephrata’s Patrick Simon could prevent that repeat performance tonight.

The Tigers’ 6-foot-9 forward electrified an already boisterous SunDome crowd with a tournament-record, 48-point performance, punctuated by a 33-point second half.

Simon got almost no help, however, and Ephrata couldn’t overcome a nine-minute drought in which Squalicum outscored them 27-0, as the Storm rolled to a 77-62 victory.

“To do that to the number-two ranked team in the state is quite an accomplishment,” Squalicum coach Dave Dickson said of the run that turned an early 6-2 Ephrata lead at the 6:42 mark into a 29-6 Storm advantage with 6 minutes left in the second quarter.

But that defensive wasn’t invincible, as Simon hit 13 of 27 shots from the field (7 of 16 3-pointers) and all 15 free-throw attempts to shatter the record of 38 points set by Wapato’s Willie Blodgett against Clarkston in last season’s tournament.

“Patrick was amazing,” Ephrata coach Brandon Evenson said.

But Squalicum countered that one-man show with a three-pronged attack, led by guard Derek Dickerson, who poured in 28 points, featuring eight 3-pointers. Patrick Voeut and Michael Greene added 14 points each, with Greene grabbing 14 rebounds — including seven of the Storm’s 17 offensive rebounds that produced 26 second-chance points.

Now the only thing preventing the Storm from becoming the first back-to-back 2A state champion since Blaine in 1999 and 2000 is another clash with Burlington-Edison, which got 21 points from Evan Coulter and 19 from Colin Stewart in Friday’s victory.

Burlington-Edison has come up empty in its last two title-game appearances, and in two prior outings against the Storm this season, but those results aren’t important to coach Rick Skeen.

“Regardless of what happens (tonight),” he said, “you can’t take anything away from what these kids have accomplished the last three years and the last three days.”

Two Stand in Way of Rematch

Ephrata, Lynden will try to spoil title game replay ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Squalicum and Burlington-Edison remained comfortably on course for a Class 2A title game rematch, but there are a couple of dangerous teams eager and able to crash that party.

Ephrata and Lynden, who both missed qualifying for state last season, made it clear a title-game rematch is no certainty after they posted one-sided quarterfinal victories Thursday night in the SunDome.

Ephrata got 21 points and nine rebounds from Washington State-bound Patrick Simon, and a big second-half surge to knock off West Valley of Spokane 62-43. After West Valley closed to 30-28 early in the third quarter, the Tigers ripped off 11 straight points and 19 of 24 to take command.

Right before that, Lynden limited Deer Park to 13 second-half points in pulling away to a 59-31 victory. The Lions rode a balanced attack as three players scored in double figures and another collected nine.

Thursday’s results set up, with no disrespect to Burlington-Edison, perhaps the most anticipated match-up in this tournament with top-ranked Squalicum (24-1), a 80-63 winner over Mark Morris in Thursday’s final quarterfinal, taking on second-ranked Ephrata (22-2) in today’s 7 p.m. semifinal.

“They’re a fantastic team. There one of the top teams in the state — at any level,” Ephrata coach Brandon Everson said of Squalicum. “For this team, after what happened last year, to get to this point, it’s a good accomplishment. Our guys are looking forward to this match-up.”

Tonight’s game will feature the dynamic talent of Ephrata’s 6-foot-9 Simon against Squalicum’s balance, led by 6-0 guard Derek Dickerson and 6-2 guard Keith Stackhouse.

Third-ranked Burlington-Edison (21-4) will meet Lynden (21-5) in the 4 p.m. semifinal. Those teams met once this season, with Burlington-Edison beating Lynden 48-43.

“We’re familiar foes,” Lynden coach Brian Roper said of the Tigers. “We’ve had a lot of battles over the last few years. There won’t be any secrets.”

Tank Runs Dry as Granger Boys End Up 7th

YAKIMA, Wash. — Typically when a team’s season ends in defeat, particularly in a state tournament, the immediate aftermath is filled with disappointment and regret.

Not so for Granger’s boys basketball team.

Sure, the Spartans would’ve preferred to head home with the fourth-place trophy rather than seventh place from this year’s Class 1A state tournament.

And they most definitely wanted to have a better showing on the SunDome court than Saturday’s sluggish effort that produced an 82-61 defeat to Bellevue Christian.

Yet none of that was foremost in the Spartans’ minds after it was over Saturday afternoon. All anyone cared to talk about was how wildly successful their entire season had been.

“It was a great week and a great season,” said sophomore swingman Andrew Reddout, who had 13 points and six rebounds Saturday. “We had a good season. We still ended up with one of the best records in the state.”

“This was the best season we’ve ever had,” said forward Mitchell Zapien, who led the Spartans with 14 points. “This was the most fun I’ve ever had.

“Our goal was to get to Saturday and place, so we’ve got to be happy.”

Granger (24-2) wasn’t happy with how it bowed out, but the end result also didn’t come as a complete shock.

Playing a fourth straight day, the tank finally ran low for this Spartan team that is so dependent on quickness and a high-energy style of play.

Granger was unable to generate that maximum effort from its defense, and Bellevue Christian (20-7) took advantage, shooting 57 percent for the game (28 of 49), including 65 percent (15 of 23) in the second half to stymie any Granger attempt to erase a 36-26 halftime deficit.

“The kids battled, but when a team shoots like that, there’s really nothing you can do,” Granger coach Miguel Bazaldua said. “I went through every kid on the bench looking for spark, but we couldn’t find one.”

“Everybody was tired and sore,” Zapien said, adding that didn’t prevent them from trying to find that extra effort. “We’ve all got a lot of heart. We were not going to quit, no matter how much we were losing by.”

The game went back and forth for the first 1 1/2 quarters until Bellevue Christian scored eight straight points in a 3-minute span to grab a 31-21 lead.

Up eight after Granger scored the first basket of the second half, the Vikings then finished things quickly, going on a 12-2 run — featuring seven of 11 third-quarter points by senior David Downs, who finished with 31. BC ultimately hit their first seven shots in the third quarter to open a 54-36 advantage. Granger, which shot 37 percent, never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

“There’s nothing to be sad about,” Bazaldua said. “We played for fourth. We were league champions. We had the best record in school history.”

“It was fun. What a magical season.”

That positive vibe was already turned toward next season, helped by the fact that Granger returns all five starters.

“We can’t wait for next year,” Zapien said. “Our first goal will be trying to get back here.”

Chelan Pulls Away From Mabton

Top-ranked Goats end Vikings’ season ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Having stayed within four points in the first half, and then watch Chelan standout Joe Harris foul out 11?2 minutes into the second half, Mabton believed the pieces were in place for an upset that would send the top-ranked Goats home after just two days.

But in the ensuing minutes after Harris exited, the Vikings exhaled in relief rather than step on the accelerator.

 

That brief lapse allowed Chelan, led by forward Matt Engstrom, to regain its bearings, and the Goats scored six of the next eight points and 10 of 15, sparking a 73-47 victory in the Class 1A state tournament loser-out game Thursday afternoon in the SunDome.

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“Once Joe Harris fouled out, our intensity dipped,” Mabton guard Jesus Huecias said. “We felt like it would be easier with him out, but they’ve got other guys who can step up.

“We lost our focus. We thought we were going to win the game.”

Instead, Mabton turned the ball over on its first three possessions and five of six after the 6-foot-6, Virginia-bound Harris left at the 5:47 mark and Chelan leading 37-29.

In that same span, Chelan got four points from Engstrom, a solid 6-3 senior, and a basket from Aaron McQuaid as Chelan increased its lead to 43-31.

“It doesn’t matter if Harris was out, the other five out there will still come at you,” Mabton coach Brock Ledgerwood. “We dropped our intensity when Harris left … and we never got it back.

“If we could’ve gotten a couple of buckets or a couple of stops right after he left, we could’ve gotten that intensity back. But give Chelan credit, they got the ball to Engstrom and he wanted to be the guy. He didn’t want to go home.”

Engstrom added two free throws late in the third after Mabton got within 47-36, and then had his final basket in an 18-point effort in a 5-1 start to the fourth quarter, running the advantage to 54-37 and effectively sealing a victory that sends the Goats (24-2) into today’s game against Lake Roosevelt.

“We might not be able to get to the championship game, but we were still not ready to go home,” Engstrom said, alluding to Wednesday’s 66-52 loss to defending champion Vashon in which Harris also fouled out. “After Joe left (Thursday), I huddled the guys up and told them that we were not going to let Joe fouling out affect us.”

“Matt Engstrom was huge. He’s been a battler for us all year,” Chelan coach Joe Harris said, adding, “We had tons of guys step up.”

True.

In addition to Engstrom, who made 7 of 8 shots and added 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals, Chelan got big efforts from McQuaid and freshman point guard Michael Amsel Jr.,

The 6-4 McQuaid led the Goats with 19 points — 13 in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter — while Amsel had 17 points and eight assists. McQuaid made 8 of 10 shots and Amsel 6 of 12, who along with Engstrom, helped Chelan top 64-percent shooting in each half and finish at 67 percent (26 of 39) for the game (26 of 39).

Mabton managed to shoot just 29 percent (16 of 56). In the second half, the Vikings shot 18 percent (5 of 27), including 1 of 11 on 3-pointers, and had 14 of its 22 turnovers.

Although Mabton (15-10) felt it played better than in Wednesday’s loss, it was still a disappointing end to a solid season.

“We wanted this one really bad,” Huecias said. “We do feel like we played hard, but we felt we could’ve done much better. Sometimes, things don’t fall your way.”

Warriors open training camp

YAKIMA, Wash. — Training camp for the Yakima Valley Warriors opened Tuesday, and owner Michael Mink won’t be wasting any time getting his team together.

The team has three practices this week, starting with Tuesday night’s workout, after which Mink plans to essentially set the roster.

“These will be more of evaluation camps, so that we’ll go into Saturday with more off a roster,” Mink said. “We have to evaluate these players a little further and see what holes we have and what we still need to look for.”

That’s been an ongoing process, with Mink saying earlier Tuesday that he’s always on the lookout for talent.

“We’ve made some improvements in just the last three, four days, as some guys came available,” he said. “We’ve got a good group of guys, but we’ll continue to make some adjustments.”

Mink’s early evaluation during Tuesday’s workout, which featured roughly two dozen players, was that the team was “still a few guys away,” but he was pleased with the players’ effort.

“I think these guys are a character group. They’ve got a lot of character,” he said. “Even though we’re just getting started, these guys are pulling for each other. There’s a lot of enthusiasm.”

As for the personnel, Mink said there are still a “couple of puzzle pieces we need to get,” specifically looking for another offensive lineman and another skill guy.

“But you never know. We may have someone who’s already here step up.”

This week’s practices will stress conditioning and learning the nuances of the indoor game. The team won’t start practicing with helmets until next week, before going to full pads for the final 1 1/2 weeks before the March 20 season opener at the Wenatchee Valley Venom.

“There’s no sense putting them in pads right now,” Mink said, adding that despite the lack of contact practices before making cuts, he’s confident they’ll have a strong group moving forward.

Teams can carry up to 30 players on their roster during the season, although Mink said he plans to keep about 25. Only 20 players can be active for each game.

Yakima Valley will play its first two games on the road, following its opener by traveling to Wasilla, Alaska, for a March 27 game, before its home opener April 3 against Wenatchee Valley. The Warriors are also at home the following Saturday, hosting San Jose.

A Win-Win Situation for SC, Bickleton

YAKIMA, Wash. — Winners or losers, it didn’t matter.

There were smiles on the faces of all the players after Saturday’s fourth-place game in the Class 1B girls state basketball tournament.

For the victorious Sunnyside Christian Knights, the reason was obvious — a fourth straight state trophy for this group of seven seniors and 12th overall following their 53-35 victory over Bickleton in the SunDome.

“Because of that, this was very important,” said guard Julie Long, who scored 11 points and was one of those seniors who never failed to reach a Saturday at state. “We knew this was our last time out and we wanted to make sure we left it all out there on the court.

 

“It’s been great; I’ll miss it for sure.”

On the other side, the Bickleton Pirates were smiling because they had come much farther than anyone had expected after ending a 29-year state drought, winding up seventh — their fifth trophy in as many state trips.

“We came here to get a trophy and we’re leaving happy,” said junior forward Katelynn Clinton, who capped a stellar four days with a tremendous all-around game that featured 21 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals.

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“This is just a wonderful feeling,” Clinton continued. “I’m so proud of the girls. They played hard and they never gave up.”

Saturday’s game was well-contested, but in the end, the experienced Knights bested their Greater Columbia 1B League rivals for the fourth time this season — although this was the closest of those contests.

“Actually, we didn’t,” Long said of underestimating Bickleton because of that past success. “The amount we’ve won by has been less and less each time.”

Saturday, Bickleton (18-9) held its own for 20 of the 32 minutes, outscoring the Knights (19-8) 29-27 in that time. However, that 12-minute span — starting late in the first quarter and spilling into the early portion of the third quarter — doomed any upset hopes the Pirates harbored after grabbing a 7-4 lead.

Sunnyside Christian started the 26-4 run with 10 straight points, including four each from senior posts Renee Dalrymple and Marisa Broersma, and closed it with a 14-0 burst, including six more from Dalrymple, who led the Knights with 12 points.

“We had a shaky start, but after that it flowed,” said Dalrymple, soaking in the postgame celebration. “With all these seniors, it was really important for us to get this trophy but to also just enjoy the moment.”

“We really wanted to beat Sunnyside Christian, but that second quarter just killed us,” Clinton said.

“We probably played better in the first, third and fourth quarters than we ever have against Sunnyside Christian,” Bickleton coach Emily Barnhart said. “They’ve been to state and know … what it takes, but it was fun for us to complete like that today.”

As the players filed out to find family and friends, each coach was left with a different view of their girls.

Knights coach Smeenk paused to look back and reflect on this senior group’s work ethic and accomplishments.

“That’s probably the hardest part — saying goodbye to all those seniors,” Smeenk said. “We figured that those players have put in about 400 days in the gym since they started. They’ve worked hard for what they’ve accomplished.

“We’ve had a great time, and it’s been a great experience.”

Barnhart’s vision was towards the future with a team that has just three seniors, and returns Clinton and starting point guard Star Kibby.

“This prepares us for next season,” she said. “I’m sure the girls want to come back, and this experience has let them see what it takes and how to prepare.

“We’ve already accomplished a lot of goals, and I think we’ve got a chance to be even better next year.”

Pirates display staying power

Bickleton earns trophy in first trip to state in 29 years ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — After 29 years, Bickleton’s girls were not going to go quietly into the night.

Not even after a humbling 58-point loss that would’ve sucked the spirit from the most determined teams.

No, these Pirates were back at the state basketball tournament after a nearly three decade absence and they had no intention of leaving the SunDome empty handed.

That resolve manifested itself in a suffocating defensive effort that forced a head-shaking 52 turnovers, and clutch second-half shooting from Star Kibby, Morgan McBride and Aymie Osborn as Bickleton pulled away from Wilson Creek 58-41 in a Class 1B state consolation game Friday afternoon.

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The victory assures the Pirates (18-8) of a state trophy, either fourth or seventh depending on the result of today’s 1:30 p.m. game against fellow Greater Columbia League foe Sunnyside Christian.

“This feels great. Twenty nine years is a long time,” said Kibby, who had a game-high 19 points and 10 of Bickleton’s whopping 32 steals. “To be the team that finally ends that drought is awesome.”

“We waited 29 years and now we’re playing for a trophy,” coach Emily Barnhart said. “This is so fantastic.”

Following Thursday’s 76-18 loss to top-ranked Colton, the Pirates could’ve been excused for still being in a daze Friday. Instead, the loss seemed to galvanize this group.

“We knew that game (vs. Colton) would be tough,” Kibby said. “But we just put it behind us and played a great game today.”

After a slow start, Bickleton scored six straight points to open a 10-4 lead, an advantage they would never relinquish, although Wilson Creek made numerous runs to get within one possession, the last at 40-37 with about 51?2 minutes to play.

That’s when McBride nailed a 3-pointer, starting a 7-0 burst that featured baskets by Kibby and Osborn.

After a Wilson Creek basket, Kibby scored on a fastbreak layin and added two free throws and the Pirates were well on their way to victory.

“That’s what kept us going. We were not going to let them get ahead of us,” said Kibby, who scored 10 points in the second half, with six in the final period. “That got us fired up.”

“Offensively, we looked for the girl who was open and everyone stepped up,” Barnhart said.

In addition to Kibby, McBride scored seven of her 13 points in the second half, including five in the fourth quarter, Osborn added all eight of her points in the game’s final nine minutes, and Nakai Kibby had six crucial second-half points.

That balance was necessary because top scorer Katelynn Clinton was held in check, scoring just seven points until a three-point play with 1:32 to play, and also got into foul trouble, sitting the final four minutes of the third quarter after getting her fourth. Still, she managed a double-double with 10 points and 10 steals.

“When Katelynn gets in trouble, we always have someone step up,” McBride said. “Once we get rolling, everyone feeds off that energy.”

Pirates run into Colton

Defending champs handle Bickleton for spot in semis ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Bickleton girls basketball coach Emily Barnhart told her young players that the best experience they could get was to play a state-championship team.

The Pirates got that chance Thursday in the SunDome, meeting Colton in a Class 1B state quarterfinal game.

Unfortunately, the defending champions were at their best, and the Pirates suffered a 76-18 humbling by the state’s top-ranked team.

“We were all nervous coming out,” said forward Katelynn Clinton, who had seven points, including three of Bickleton’s five field goals. “This was definitely a learning experience.

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“Now we’ll see what this team’s made of. One of our goals coming here was to win a trophy and it’s great that we still have a chance to do that.”

Bickleton (16-8) will indeed achieve that goal if they can beat Wilson Creek in today’s 2:30 p.m. consolation game. That would put the Pirates into Saturday’s game for fourth and seventh place.

“We know we’re not out of it,” Barnhart said. “That should be enough to keep our heads up and I believe they will.”

Staying positive was almost impossible Thursday as Colton’s withering defensive pressure quickly made the final outcome inevitable.

Bickleton had turnovers on its first five possessions and nine total in the first quarter, and it also missed all eight shot attempts in falling behind 20-0.

Only a Clinton free throw with 13.2 seconds left prevented Colton (23-1) from posting a third straight quarter shutout in the first half of their first two games.

The Wildcats were just as good in the second quarter, ultimately forcing 23 first-half turnovers while limiting Bickleton to 2 of 12 shooting.

“We try to get really focused (before the game),” sophomore guard Haley Moser said of the Wildcats’ defense. “It’s fun to get all those defensive stops.”

Colton coach Clark Vining called his team’s first-half defensive effort “right up there” with their best this season.

“We had good intensity,” he said. “The key was that we played good team defense. It takes all five players to guard Clinton.”

“It was frustrating, but they (Colton) have a great defense,” said Clinton, who made just 3 of 13 shots after a 35-point performance in Thursday’s opening-round victory.

“We walked in with a deer-in-the-headlights look, and walked out with a deer-in-the-headlights look. We never got rid of it,” Barnhart said. “(But) they’ve never seen a team like (Colton).”

Bickleton finished with 39 turnovers, leading to 42 Colton points.

Colton offset an poor shooting night (34.6 percent) a 13 of 42 effort from 3-point range, including hitting 10 of its final 24 starting late in the second quarter.

Moser led that charge, hitting 5 of 12 triples en route to a game-best 23 points. She made three late in the second quarter as part of a 12-1 run, and added two more in a 14-0 burst to open the third quarter that gave Colton a 50-10 lead.

“We shoot them a lot,” Moser said of the threes. “We can shoot them when we’re open.”

Unsure Things for Sunnyside Christian

Knights’ youth, injuries leave cloud of uncertainty ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Sunnyside Christian reaching the state basketball tournaments is as sure a sign that spring is nearing as the flowers blooming.

Whether the Knights’ sojourn to this year’s Class 1B state tournament blossoms into a serious state-title run, however, is marked by an underlying sense of uncertainty.

 

In the boys’ case, coach Dean Wagenaar is still not completely sure how his still-young squad will stand up to the tournament pressure, made more challenging by the Knights landing in difficult bracket.

 

“If you match us up against the best of the best, I’m not sure if we’re there,” he said. “I hope we are. I believe we are.”

Uncertainty surrounding the girls comes in a more tangible form.

Coach Al Smeenk doesn’t know what to expect since four-year standout Hilari Bosma injured her knee a few weeks back. She will play this week, but those minutes will be limited and Smeenk isn’t sure how effective she will be.

“We’ve obviously had to readjust,” he said. “She’s a four-year starter … and anyone we put out there is not as good (right now) as she is.

“But we have seven seniors who have been there (at state) before … and we’re working hard and they have a great attitude.”

Even with those concerns, Sunnyside Christian is considered one of the favorites in both tournaments that begin today in the SunDome.

The fifth-ranked girls, making their sixth consecutive state trip and 11th in school history go first, opening at 5:30 p.m. against Northwest Yeshiva. The third-ranked boys, making their 11th straight appearance, 17th overall and seeking a third 1B title in four years, is up next at 7:30 p.m. against Pateros.

Despite their youth — Tim DeVries is the lone senior on the 12-man roster — the boys have state experience, and with the team’s steady improvement since early January, the Knights’ favorite status is well-deserved, despite the coach’s concerns.

Wagenaar said the turnaround came just after Christmas, following a loss to Liberty Christian.

“The week after Christmas, we had some pretty intense practices,” he said. “That week put us in the right direction and everyone grew up. Right now, we’re a very good team. If we’re at that next level, I don’t know. I think we are, but we’ll see this week.”

After that week of practice, the Knights beat White Swan, ranked ninth in Class 2B, and lost a close game to 2B Riverside Christian. They haven’t lost since then, bringing a 14-game winning streak and 19-3 record into state.

“We’ve probably established more of a consistent identity as the season progressed,” Wagenaar said, adding the return of guard Steven Bosma (broken collarbone) in January also gave the team a boost. “They do trust each other more, and another thing we’ve made great strides in is taking care of the basketball. That’s just from the experience we’ve gained.”

Finding that consistent stride has eluded the 18-4 girls, Smeenk said, adding it could become more difficult to find this week with Bosma at less than 100 percent.

“Sometimes we play pretty well, but other times we make mistakes,” he said. “Without Hilari, we’ll probably simplify things, but the players do help each other and talk on the court.”

Smeenk has been encouraged by the way the team has rallied together since Bosma’s injury, and knows that with their experience, which includes a third-place finish last season, they won’t be intimidated by the pressures of state.

That said, he said the biggest challenge will be replacing some of Bosma’s offense. The team’s best outside shooter is also it’s only double-digit scorer, averaging 10.3 points per game.

“We need someone to step up,” he said, adding that he doesn’t expect nor want just one or two players trying to fill that void.

“We talked about that. We have a number of players who can score six, eight, nine points, but in the same breath, we don’t have a go-to scorer,” he said. “They all need to step up a little bit, but not one of them has to take it all on. The key thing for us is that we have balanced scoring.”

Given both team’s past state success, opponents better not believe that the uncertainties surrounding the Knights will prevent either from making it through to Saturday — perhaps even playing in those final games.

That seems certain.

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