Long wait is over for Ephrata, Othello

2A state basketball tournament preview

TACOMA - It's been five years since the Ephrata boys basketball team set foot on the floor at the state tournament.

A long wait? Maybe for the Tigers and their fans, but not as long the Othello girls have had to endure. The Lady Huskies' program makes its state debut when the 2A tournament tips off Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome.

Ephrata (21-2), which polished off a district championship on Saturday with an overtime win over Prosser, opens against W.F. West of Chehalis at 10:30 a.m. Othello (22-3), the third seed from the Central Washington Athletic Conference, goes against returning state placer Black Hills at 7 p.m.

For Ephrata head coach Brandon Evenson, the key to his team's success at state resides in how well they do the things they've done all year - mental focus and execution on the court.

"Like we've done all year, we want to go one game at a time," Evenson said on Monday. "The seniors have been waiting for this chance all four years of their career. All of these kids have played at least two years of varsity, so I like our chances."

The W.F. West Bearcats (17-6) are making their third consecutive appearance at state, though they've yet to place. But like the Tigers, the Bearcats are an experienced team who feature eight seniors, and Evenson's focus is squarely on figuring them out.

"It's kind of an unknown for us - it was hard to find information on them," he said. "They like to push the ball and play an up-tempo style. They'll get in your grills just like Prosser did. They've got a big kid who can shoot outside, so it sounds similar to us."

W.F. West has five players who average at least seven points per game. Lucas Strohbach, a 6-foot-5 senior forward who averages 11 points, and 6-4 senior forward Griffin Squires (10.3 points per game) should present a challenge for Ephrata's dynamic duo of Daniel Simon and Patrick Simon.

Other key Bearcats include 6-2 senior forward Tyler Allwine, 6-4 senior forward Devin Bagby and 6-0 sophomore guard Tyler Coleman.

The Simon brothers have carried the offensive load for the Tigers most of the season, combining for 32 points per game, but CWAC rivals are aware of Ephrata's depth.

Sophomore Ross Buchert had a team-high 15 points in the 68-65 overtime win over Prosser, and 5-11 senior guard Ryan Lutz averages 10.3 points per game. Kory Frank, Landen Lange, Derrick Webb, CJ Curnutt and Derek Miller are capable of big performances as well.

"We are a 12-headed monster - you never know who's going to step up," Evenson said.

If Ephrata reaches Thursday's quarterfinals, the likely opponent is seventh-ranked Lynden (16-7). The Lions are the defending state champs, return six seniors, and have a 15-points-per-game scorer in senior point guard Brady Bomber.

"I think they're a totally different team than what they were last year," Evenson remarked. "Basically, at state you've got to beat the best to be the best. Right now, they're the best."

Foster (13-10) is the other possibility for Ephrata's second opponent, and while the Bulldogs have only four seniors, they've got plenty of size with three players who stand at least 6-6.

Top-ranked Burlington-Edison is on the opposite side of the bracket, meaning Ephrata wouldn't face them until the finals. Perennial power Mark Morris, ranked No. 2, could be a semifinal opponent for the Tigers and feature several tall players.

Confidence shouldn't be a problem for the sixth-ranked Tigers, who survived a hot, sweaty, packed Toppenish gym on Saturday against No. 5 Prosser.

"It was one of the best high school games I've been associated with," Evenson said. "I think a lot of people who were there to watch felt the same way."

Othello reached its first-ever state tournament on the strength of two very different games. Last Friday, they went up and down the court with ease to defeat Selah in a loser-out game. The following night, with their season on the line again, the Lady Huskies survived a defensive struggle to beat East Valley 40-30.

Othello faces a young Black Hills team on Wednesday. The Wolves (16-7) returned only four seniors from last year's sixth-place trophy winner, and none of those four are huge contributors.

Black Hills does have some balance between its frontcourt and backcourt. Sophomore post Chelsea Haskey is the leading scorer at 11.3 per game, and junior Danielle Swain comes in at 10.6 per game. Both stand 6-foot-1, rivaling Othello's height inside with Allison Walker and Courtney Kirkwood.

On the perimeter, the Wolves have 5-8 juniors Aisha Jones and Courtney Johnson to contend with, and that duo combined for around 17 points per game. Lady Huskie freshman Christine Kirkwood, and juniors Mari Juarez and Justine Villarreal draw the task of defending the Wolves' guards.

With a win, fourth-ranked Othello would advance to Thursday's 8:30 p.m. quarterfinal against either Lynden or CWAC rival Ellensburg. Lynden (16-9) appears to be the more favorable matchup, as the Lions have only three seniors and considerably less size than the Huskies.

Ellensburg (20-4) comes in off a hard-fought district title win over Prosser and is one of only three squads to beat Othello this season. The Huskies would have to contend with Bulldog star Kayla Standish (22.8 points per game) and four others who average at least seven.

State tournaments often see quirky draws, and this one is no different. Top-ranked Anacortes faces No. 2 Pullman in a first-round game on Wednesday because Anacortes lost twice in its district tournament and wound up a No. 4 seed. Both of those schools are in the bracket opposite Othello, as is third-ranked Tumwater.