Troubles end for Warden

Cougars eliminated from tournament by season foe White Swan

YAKIMA — Warden's storybook season has closed its final chapter.

After taking a hit from Lake Roosevelt on Wednesday, White Swan kept the punches coming with a 50-39 win over the Cougars on Thursday. The loss put an end to Warden's postseason, but also leaves the question of who will coach the Cougars next season.

Todd Kisler became the interim head coach on January 8 after Bob Macintosh was put on administrative leave pending a court case stemming from actions with a former player at Mount Baker High School last summer. Since taking over the program, Kisler led the Cougars to an 8-2 league record, third place at districts and a state tournament bid.

"I am sure they are going to wait to see what the court system decides," Kisler said. "I told the girls in the locker room we will wait and see and support the administration in any decision they make."

Whatever the outcome of Macintosh's court case, Kisler said he would like to stay on with the girls basketball team as either the head coach or an assistant to Macintosh or another coach.

In the first two meetings between the Warden Cougars and the White Swan Cougars, White Swan got the best of Warden.

On Thursday, there would be no three times a charm outcome for Warden. The opposing Cougars' Andrea Blodgett opened up the loser-out game with a 3-pointer, but was answered by Ashton Stott, who followed with a 3 of her own.

Shelbi Strom put up another 3-pointer for a 6-3 lead over the Warden Cougars, then watched Dana Bates go on a 7-0 run to put the Cougars up 10-7. Strom hit a free throw to cut the difference to two points, then Emy Lawrence hit a layup to tie the game at 10-10.

The first quarter finished in a 12-12 tie, but the difference maker for Warden was the play of Bates, who scored seven points in the first eight minutes after being held to two points in Wednesday's loss.

"What was different, I was nervous the first game and mad this game," Bates said.

Bates accounted for seven of Warden's eight points in the second quarter, finishing the first half with 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting from the field. The rest of the starters for Warden shot 1 of 14 as both teams remained tied at 20-20 at halftime.

The third quarter started the demise of the Cougars' run at the state tournament when White Swan ran out to a 33-26 lead.

"They outscored us quite a few to six," Kisler said. "They got into their running mode, which we tried to keep them from doing and they scored a few buckets."

White Swan pushed the lead to double-digits in the fourth quarter behind Blodgett, who finished the game with 12 points.

For Warden, it was there second straight year making the state tournament. Despite not coming home with a trophy during that span, Kisler said the Cougars have set a standard in Warden girls basketball.

"The girls are setting a precedence of what it takes to work hard for that long season and get here," Kisler added. "We are really young and I know those girls will work hard to get here next season."