Third time’s a charm.

At least, that’s what the W.F. West girls basketball team is hoping for its upcoming Regional Round matchup against Archbishop Murphy.

This is the third time in the last four years that the two teams have met in the opening round of the state tournament, and in each of the previous two meetings (2022 and 2024), it was Archbishop Murphy that came away with a close win and snagged the first-round bye in Yakima.

Both teams have evolved and improved since last February’s meeting, but it’s mostly the same faces. Julia Dalan, Amanda Bennett, and Dilyn Boeck are leading the way for the Bearcats, and Brooke Blachly and Ava Marr continue to dominate for the Wildcats.

“They know us and we know them,” W.F. West coach Kyle Karnofski said. “This group is excited for it, and they’re ready for it.”

The Bearcats are banking on their improvements, specifically on the defensive end, where Karnofski has always set a solid base.

“We’ve kind of expanded off of that,” Dalan said. “We have more confidence in the variety of defenses we can play. I think that’s one thing that’s definitely gonna help.”

Preventing Blachly from getting off to a quick start will be key. She hit five threes in the first quarter last year to help the Wildcats build a double-digit lead, and she ended the game with 21 points.

Bennett also touched on this group’s chemistry, saying they complement each other well and were able to battle together consistently through a tough non-league slate.

That non-league schedule was set up to prepare them for games like this, and the goal from Day 1 has been to leave Yakima with a trophy.

In both of the last two seasons, the Bearcats have finished one win shy of that goal. A win on Saturday would give them up to two chances to win and get into a trophy game.

“We don’t need to win to know we’re a good team,” Bennett said. “But having the past two years be one win away is a little hurtful.”

There is a path for a team to play their way to a top-six placing even with a Regional Round loss, at least if they’re a top-8 seed. W.F. West did just that three seasons ago, when they bounced back from a loss to the Wildcats to make the semifinals and eventually place fifth.

“We’re looking to try to solidify ourselves as one of the best teams in the state,” Karnofski said. “And this is where you do it … There’s no teams left that are not worthy of being here. They’ve all earned it. We gotta go earn and solidify our spot too, and hopefully play for a trophy.”

Both Bennett and Dalan believe that this Bearcat group could play deep into the tournament, and they are both looking forward to their final games wearing their W.F. West uniform.

“I’m absolutely pumped,” Bennett said. “This group of girls who are so passionate about this game, to do it all together would be amazing … I wouldn’t want to go with any other group.”

Dalan agreed, and added that they’re going to do everything in their power to bring a trophy home.

“No matter what, just making sure that we leave knowing that we put everything out there,” Dalan said. “No matter what, leaving the court knowing that there wasn’t anything else we could do.

“This year, it’s going to hit the hardest,” she continued. “We all have no doubt in our mind that we can go all the way. Our team is something really special, and I’m really looking forward to it.”