The final 12 girls basketball teams from classifications 1B-2A have made their way to Spokane and Yakima, and five area teams are still in the mix for a state title.
The W.F. West Bearcats, Napavine Tigers, Rainier Mountaineers, and Mossyrock Vikings will begin play in the Round of 12 on Wednesday, while the Adna Pirates have earned a bye to Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Below, we’ll go rapid-fire through Wednesday’s Round of 12 matchups, beginning with a bounce-back opportunity for W.F. West.
W.F. West
Class 2A Round of 12: No. 3 W.F. West (20-4) vs. No. 14 West Valley Spokane (14-9)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 28
Where: Yakima Valley SunDome, Yakima
Time: 9 a.m.
At stake: Winner advances to the quarterfinal round to face No. 4 Prosser at 9 a.m. on Thursday
How they got there: W.F. West triumphed past fellow Round of 12 participant Columbia River 51-41 to claim the District 4 title. The Bearcats were clipped on their home court by Archbishop Murphy by three points to drop to an elimination game. West Valley was the second-place finisher out of District 7, then clipped Port Angeles by seven in an elimination game last week.
Off the backboard: W.F. West is into its 11th state tournament and is aiming for its third state title in school history. The Bearcats feature one of the tallest players in the tournament in 6-foot-3 junior Julia Dalan, who registered a double-double in the opening round setback. All three freshmen for Coach Kyle Karnofski’s squad contribute significantly on both sides of the floor. West Valley returns to Yakima after a one-year hiatus, seeking its first-ever state championship. The Eagles started off the year 4-7, but have gone 10-2 since mid-January.
Napavine
Class 2B Round of 12: No. 1 Napavine (21-3) vs No. 9 Tonasket (21-4)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 28
Where: Spokane Arena, Spokane
Time: 2 p.m.
At Stake: Winner advances to quarterfinals to play No. 7 Brewster at 2 p.m. on Thursday
How they got here: The Tigers plowed through the regular season and district playoffs, losing just two games en route to their second-straight District 4 title. They slipped up in the opening round of the state tournament, however, as No. 8 Mabton topped them 48-38 on Saturday. Brewster fell in the District 6 title game, but bounced back with a win in a crossover and a 68-63 upset win over No. 2 Warden in the Regionals.
Off the backboard: Napavine will have to go the long way because of their loss in the opening round, but because of the way the rest of the bracket shaked out last weekend, the Tigers wouldn’t have to face a top-four seed until the state title game. If they win their next two, however, a C2BL opponent would await in the semifinals, as Toutle Lake, Rainier, or Adna will earn the other spot in that matchup.
Rainier
Class 2B Round of 12: No. 5 Rainier (22-4) vs No. 12 Toutle Lake (20-6)
When: Wednesday. Feb. 28
Where: Spokane Arena, Spokane
Time: 12:15 p.m.
At Stake: Winner advances to the quarterfinals against No. 6 Adna at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday
How they got here: Rainier was right near the top of the C2BL standings all season, and the Mountaineers made it all the way to the district title game before falling to Napavine. The Mountaineers couldn’t keep up against Colfax in their opening round matchup, falling 57-32. Toutle Lake finished four in the District 4 tournament and the C2BL standings, and the Ducks dominated La Conner 56-19 in their regional.
Off the backboard: The Ducks and Mountaineers have faced off just one time this season, and Rainier won that matchup 47-42. The Rainier offense is in a bit of a slump entering Spokane, as the Mountaineers haven’t scored 50 or more points since a matchup against Raymond on Feb. 6.
Mossyrock
Class 1B Round of 12: No. 10 Mossyrock (17-6) vs No. 7 Wilbur-Creston-Keller (18-5)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 28
Where: Spokane Arena, Spokane
Time: 5:30 p.m.
At Stake: Winner advances to quarterfinals against No. 1 Neah Bay
How they got here: Mossyrock went unbeaten in league play in the Columbia Valley League and went on to win the District 4 Tournament by topping Taholah 46-30 in the district title game. The Vikings then handled Evergreen Lutheran in their regional, topping the Eagles 53-31. After falling in the semifinals, Wilbur-Creston-Keller won two straight elimination games to take third in the District 7 Tournament before falling to Mount Vernon Christian in its opening-round matchup.
Off the backboard: Mossyrock is unbeaten since the start of the new year, as they come to Spokane riding a 12-game winning streak. The Vikings’ defense has led the way, as they haven’t allowed 40 or more points in that stretch. This year’s group has four different starters from last season’s group that took second, but Abbie Lovan, Delaney Marshall, Renzy Marshall, Adyson Barrows, Chesney Schultz, and several others have stepped up over the course of the season to help them get back to Spokane.
