Whitman Co. schools might loom for SC after Mary Knight

By JERREL SWENNING
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Sunnyside Christian girls basketball coach Al Smeenk, whose Knights are usually the model of preparedness, was scrambling Monday night.

Who is Mary Knight and where can I get some film of the Owls?

Less than 48 hours before his top-ranked Knights were to face the Owls in the first round of the Class 1B state tournament in the SunDome, Smeenk needed answers — “I know nothing about Mary Knight,” he said.

The rest of the tournament? Oh, that’s easy — Whitman County.

The sparsely inhabited county in southeast Washington that calls Pullman its population center with (roughly 25,000) or without (well less than 10,000) the Washington State students, is a hoops hotbed.

“Everybody from Whitman County is good — that’s just the basketball capital of the state,” Smeenk said.

SC faced three Whitman County teams en route to its runner-up finish at the inaugural 1B tourney last year, beating Garfield-Palouse in the opening and Colton in the semifinals before falling to Sprague-Harrington in the title game.

The 19-2 Knights, who play Mary Knight at 4 p.m. Wednesday, could again run into a couple Whitman County opponents, with No. 2 Gar-Pal in a possible semifinal matchup and third-ranked Colton in the title game if SC gets a chance to play for its first title in three tries.

SC’s fellow Greater Columbia B League team, Trout Lake-Glenwood, doesn’t have to win its way to a matchup with one of the southeast powers. The Mustangs, who are making their debut as a cooperative (Glenwood made three tournaments on its own from 1987-1990, earning trophies each time), drew Colton for a first-round game at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“I think we’ll be competitive with them, because we play such tough defense, a full-court man,” TL-G coach Roger Huffsmith said. “That might shake them up a little, compared to most teams.”

That is after the Mustangs themselves get their feel for the SunDome atmosphere.

“I think we’ll all be wide-eyed,” Huffsmith said laughing. “But I think once they get on the floor and get to playing, that will all be gone.”

Sophomore Katie Yarnell and her double-double average — 10.8 points and 11 rebounds per game — lead the way for TL-G. Liz Vogt, a 5-foot-10 freshman, grabs nine rebounds and blocks three shots a game to go along with 6.3 points per contest.

State tournaments are old hat for the Knights, who are making their fourth straight appearance and 13th in Smeenk’s 27 years as coach.

This year’s edition of SC is built around a strong frontcourt led by seniors Andrea Schutt (9.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Emma Newhouse (10.4 ppg), and junior Melanie Van Wingerden (15.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg).

Newhouse was sidelined for last year’s state tournament after suffering a knee injury earlier in the postseason. She shed the knee brace for volleyball this past fall, however, and earned a spot on the all-GCB all-opponent team for the second straight time.

Schutt, too, was hobbled for at least part of last year’s 1B event, suffering an ankle injury in the semifinal win against Colton. The 6-footer was dominant last week at districts, totaling 49 points in the two games.

Van Wingerden helped ease the scoring lost with the graduation of her sister, Tori.

The Knights still don’t have the scoring in the backcourt without the older Van Wingerden, but are getting closer in leadership with a rotation that includes junior Abby Bangs and sophomores Hilary Bosma and Julie Long.

“They’re doing a lot better job handling the ball and with decision making,” Smeenk said.