Of all the things to admire about Granger’s girls and their tactical whiz of a coach, Andy Affholter, there’s this to put at the top: No team has ever been more comfortable in its own skin.

Were they a fluke last year when, as mostly sophomores, they plucked an unexpected third-place trophy from the Class 1A state tournament?

All through this week, the still-young and still-under-sized Spartans have answered that question, barn-storming through the SunDome again on their way into Saturday’s championship game.

Each time Granger walked on the floor, with nobody standing taller than 5 feet, 8 inches, opponents couldn’t help but perceive a delicious advantage. Open shots, rebounds, layups — all for the taking.

And when the referee walked to center court for the opening tip, Affholter’s crew always reinforced that perception with a subtle little maneuver.

They concede it.

Janae Klarich would step into the circle for the tip, then back straight away without contesting the jump.

Go ahead, it’s yours.

Now let’s see what 5-8 can do when it’s quick, tough, in the right position and schooled in fundamentals.

Even after the underdog-thriving Spartans had their title hopes slip away at the end of a 55-53 overtime loss to top-ranked Seattle Christian, there will be a lasting memory of the defensive impression they left here.

To make the school’s first appearance in a girls’ state championship game, Granger shut down Cascade, Lynden Christian and Connell to the tune of 27.8-percent shooting. And they were best against the stars.

• Cascade’s Ashley Wright, with a 19-point average and a volleyball scholarship to Eastern Washington, did not make a basket against them.

• Lynden Christian’s Kenzie De Boer, the all-time leading scorer in a storied program and headed to Montana, scored one point in the second half.

• Connell’s Debbie Molsbarger, the SCAC East’s MVP, went scoreless in the second and third quarters.

Despite bolting to a 14-point lead over Seattle Christian, Granger finally encountered a wall it couldn’t scale against the tallest team in the tournament.

After bouncing the defending champion in the quarterfinals, avenging a big loss to a conference rival in the semifinals and hitting nine 3-pointers through three quarters Saturday night, the Spartans finally showed a measure of fatigue in overtime.

And still finished a basket away from a state title.

The girls cut through their tears long enough to give Granger’s big crowd a lot of smiles as the second-place trophy was awarded. Take heart, fans — it was an image filled the promise of more.

Defense is never a fluke, and in eight state games spanning two years Granger’s defense has averaged a tight-fisted 35 points a game. And consider that the team’s all-tournament trio — Ashlee Reddout, Italia Mengarelli and MVP Janae Klarich — will all be back along with fellow starter Sam Zapien.

They won’t be any taller, probably.

But they know who they are and they know how to make the most of it.