Kamiakin, Kennewick girls earn WA state basketball berths. Richland boys fall
The Kamiakin and Kennewick girls basketball teams qualified for their respective state tournaments this week.
The Braves beat Gonzaga Prep 64-34 to win the District 8 Class 4A title game.
Kennewick rallied to beat Ridgeline in the district 3A winners bracket semifinals to earn a state berth.
Meanwhile, the region may have more big-school teams advance by the time the games end on Saturday night.
The Richland and Kamiakin boys are still alive in the 4A tournament, as are the Chiawana girls.
Kennewick plays at Walla Walla in a loser-out 3A boys game on Thursday, while the Wa-Hi girls can end up at state if they can win two more games.
Here is a look at each districts tournament:
4A boys
Richland fell at home Tuesday night in the District 8 championship game, losing 69-64 to Gonzaga Prep.
Prep’s top scorer, Henry Sandberg, sank a 3-point field goal with 1:17 to play to give the visiting Bullpups the title and a state tournament berth.
Sandberg led Prep with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Josh Woodard countered for Richland with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists; while Jack Forbes finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds.
Gonzaga Prep coach Matty McIntyre said the key was stopping Richland’s offensive transition.
“(Six-foot-10 Luke) Westerfield is a major inside problem. They have two excellent shooters (in Woodard and Landon Northrop), and they have two good shooters (in Forbes and Lance Horntvedt),” said McIntyre. “We kept them from running with our transition D. When they go fast, they are unstoppable.”
Richland coach Earl Streufert agreed.
“The lack of execution on offense was key,” Streufert said. “I mean, we shot 51 percent at home and we lost. And we actually played solid defense.”
A 31 percent performance from the 3-point line (6 for 19) hurt the Richland offense.
The Bombers, now 19-4, had their 11-game win streak snapped with the loss. But Streufert’s crew can still qualify for state on Saturday at home (time to be determined), when it’ll meet either Lewis & Clark of Spokane or Mid-Columbia Conference rival Kamiakin. Those two teams meet each other at 6 p.m. Thursday at Kamiakin.
“We’ll take a day off and then get ready for Saturday,” Streufert said. “Prep is a good team. They’ve proven it all year long. We’ve been in this same situation last year (when they beat Kamiakin in a state play-in game). I’m confident our guys can come back.”
Kamiakin hopes to have a say in that.
The Braves stayed alive on Tuesday by winning a loser-out contest with a 67-36 victory over visiting Chiawana.
Peter Dress led Kamiakin with 19 points and 17 rebounds, while Ryker Wageman added 12 points. Tyson Landoni led Chiawana with 10 points.
DISTRICT 8 4A BOYS TOURNAMENT
Feb. 13
Game 9, Kamiakin 67, Chiawana 36 (loser out)
Game 10, Lewis & Clark 65, Central Valley 51 (loser out)
Game 11, Gonzaga Prep 69, Richland 64 (winner to state regional)
Feb. 15
Game 12, Lewis & Clark at Kamiakin (loser out), 6 p.m.
Feb. 17
Game 13, Loser 11 at Richland (winner to state regional, loser out), TBD
4A girls
Kamiakin earned the District 8 title by beating visiting Gonzaga Prep easily, 64-34, on Tuesday night.
The Braves were up 30-14 at the half and never looked back.
Nicole Wertenberger led Kamiakin with 14 points and 5 rebounds, while Aubrey Herrin added 13 points and 5 steals. Liv Whitemarsh-Bass had 12 points.
Emaunii Smith scored 8 points for the Braves, but also added 14 rebounds.
Kamiakin shot 52 percent from the floor, and held Prep to just 25 percent shooting.
“Our 1-2-2 zone defense gave them problems,” said Kamiakin coach Lane Schumacher. “I kind of feel we’re playing our best games of the season right now. We’re dialed in, and focused.”
Smith has been a pleasant surprise this season. Just a sophomore, she’s been averaging a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Schumacher wants to nominate her for MCC defensive player of the year. Here’s why: she’s averaging 5.9 blocked shots a game.
“And she changes other team’s shots,” Schumacher added. “ She just changes the game. There are only two players in the MCC averaging a double-double: Malia Ruud and Smith.”
Speaking of Ruud, she scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Chiawana over visiting Richland 69-37, ending the Bombers’ season.
The Riverhawks have to win two games over the next three days to qualify for state.
DISTRICT 8 4A GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Feb. 13
Game 9, Chiawana 69, Richland 37 (loser out)
Game 10, Central Valley 63, Lewis & Clark 45 (loser out)
Game 11, Kamiakin 64, Gonzaga Prep 34 (winner to state regional)
Feb. 15
Game 12, Central Valley at Chiawana (loser out), 5 p.m.
Feb. 17
Game 13, Loser 11 at Gonzaga Prep (winner to state regional, loser out), TBD
3A boys
North Central and Mt. Spokane have already snapped up two of the District 8 state playoff berths.
Either Kennewick or Walla Walla will earn a shot for the final state berth.
The two teams will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15, at Wa-Hi in a loser-out game. The winner plays host to either University of Ridgeline on Saturday.
Southridge had its season end on Tuesday when it lost to Ridgeline.
Kennewick advanced with a 75-49 win over visiting Ferris.
DISTRICT 8 3A BOYS TOURNAMENT
Feb 13
Game 5, Kennewick 75, Ferris 49 (loser out)
Game 6, Ridgeline 64, Southridge 62 (loser out)
Game 7, Mt. Spokane 66, University 55 (winner to state regional)
Game 8, North Central 65, Walla Walla 53 (winner to state regional)
Feb. 15
Game 9, Kennewick at Walla Walla (loser out), 7 p.m.
Game 10, Ridgeline at University (loser out), 6 p.m.
Feb. 17
Game 11, North Central at Mt. Spokane (both to state), 6 p.m.
Game 12, winner 9 vs. winner 10 (winner to state regional, loser out), TBA
3A girls
Kennewick has qualified for the 3A state tournament after beating visiting Ridgeline 59-55 on Tuesday night in a District 8 winners bracket semifinal game.
The Lions broke open a tight game by outscoring Ridgeline 16-9 in the fourth quarter. Kennewick senior Haylee Johnson was game-high scorer with 25 points.
Kennewick will play at No. 1 Mead on Saturday for the district title, but both teams are already advancing.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Lions coach Daron Santo. “I mean, we expected them to do well. We have everyone back, and we’ve had high expectations.”
Santo just likes the way this team plays hard all of the time.
“They all have great attitudes,” he said. “And they just don’t quit.”
In Tuesday’s win, outside of what Johnson did, the rest of the Lions had a tough time getting a basket. But that’s where the defense came in.
“We got some key stops at the end of the game,” said Santo. “Our biggest improvement this season has been our defense.”
Walla Walla, meanwhile, still has a chance to earn a state berth. The Blue Devils, who lost 74-39 to Mead in a winner’s bracket semifinal on Tuesday, will host University at 5 p.m. on Thursday in a loser-out game.
Wa-Hi must win two games in the next three days to earn that state berth.
DISTRICT 8 3A GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Feb. 10
Game 1, Mead 73, Mt. Spokane 31
Game 2, Walla Walla 83, Ferris 53
Game 3, Ridgeline 77, Hermiston 38
Game 4, Kennewick 75, University 56
Feb 13
Game 5, Ferris 60, Mt. Spokane 55 (loser out)
Game 6, University 73, Hermiston 65 (loser out)
Game 7, Mead 74, Walla Walla 39 (winner to state regional)
Game 8, Kennewick 59, Ridgeline 55 (winner to state regional)
Feb. 15
Game 9, Ferris at Ridgeline (loser out), 6 p.m.
Game 10, University at Walla Walla (loser out), 5 p.m.
Feb. 17
Game 11, Kennewick at Mead (both to state), 5 p.m.
Game 12, winner 9 vs. winner 10 (winner to state regional, loser out), TBA
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
