Senior-laden Tigers ready for run at postseason

EPHRATA - Experience is something Ephrata head boys basketball coach Brandon Evenson will not have to worry about.

A win away from advancing to regionals, the Tigers return a senior-laden team that will look to make an even deeper run in the postseason.

"I really like my team," Evenson said. "They work hard. We have 10 seniors and one sophomore and so you have a team that has really put in some time over the last four years in my program ... Some guys that put in a lot of time in the program and really love playing the game of basketball and playing with each other."

Ephrata finished 16-4 a season ago before losing to Grandview in the district championship game 69-65.

The Tigers subsequently dropped its next consolation game against Wapato 82-69, losing out on a regional berth.

"I think it gives them a little motivation," Evenson said. "Really at districts, we lost that district championship game basically in the last minute and a half of the game. We had the lead and they hit some tough shots and we missed some shots that we were hitting earlier."

Evenson hopes to contend for a top four seed in the district tournament this year.

Ephrata will have to deal with a handful of teams that will be formidable in the CWAC.

"Wapato and Ellensburg are legit teams," Evenson said. "Then you have us, East Valley, Prosser, Grandview. Top of my head, that's kind of where I would go and any one of those four or five teams can win it. It's going to be a great year for fans of CWAC basketball. I don't think there's going to be very many blowout games at all."