T O U
R N E Y T O W N ARCHIVES
This page is part of the
Tourneytown.com archives and is no longer updated.
|
This page is part of the
Tourneytown.com archives and is no longer updated. |
Published Saturday, March 8, 2003
| :: Home |
Tonasket, Brewster Meet Once Again By SCOTT SPRUILL YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC Just a few minutes into Friday’s second girls semifinal it was forcefully and decisively clear how much Tonasket wanted to play its rival Brewster again. And this time it will be for a state championship. In a stunning display of domination in every phase of the game, the Tigers humbled Onalaska 62-18 on Friday and will face Brewster for a fourth time this season Saturday at 7 for the Class 1A title. “Wow, I don’t know what to make of that,” said Tonasket coach Gary Smith, whose team will be the first in school history to play in a state championship final. “I do know this — we’re not that good and they’re not that bad.” On this night, perhaps the Tigers simply were that good. With scoring from all five starters, Tonasket settled the matter quickly by scoring the first 14 points of the game. The Tigers shot 55 percent from the field, which included a 15-for-25 opening half. And even with those numbers, the defense was better. Onalaska, a surprising semifinalist after wins over Archbishop Murphy and Napavine, had only six baskets in the game, including two in the second half. A field goal with seven seconds left in the game kept the Loggers from being shut out in the fourth quarter. Six-foot junior Jeri Hedlund got a rare start and responded with a game-high 15 points, hitting 7 of 8 shots. “Our defense is our game,” she said. “We’ve had some good games here and I don’t think we’ll have a letdown. We are so ready for Brewster. We’re all friends and I know it’ll be another great game.” The Tigers lost their first meeting with Brewster, 50-49, but have since won twice, 50-47 and 44-37. It’s Smith’s defense, which held Burbank to 37 points and Cle Elum to 36 here, that he expects will be the difference Saturday. “When they get to shooting the ball like they can, they’re tough,” the coach said of the Bears. “But we have a good defense and that’s how we beat them before. It’s not like we hate each other, it’s a very friendly thing with a lot of respect on both sides. We’re ready to play them again.” In addition to Hedlund’s inspired play, leading scorer Krissy Call, a junior forward, pitched in 14 points and was nearly as accurate as Hedlund, connecting on 7 of 9 shots. ©
2003 All photos, content and design are
properties of the Yakima Herald-Republic. |
Tourney Bracket |