No. 5 ACH prepares for regional game with Entiat

COULEE CITY - Almira/Coulee-Hartline girls basketball coach Mike Correia told his team to enjoy the journey, play hard and the rest will sorts itself out in the end.

The Warriors (20-3) face Entiat (15-7) in Saturday’s 4 p.m. game at the 1B regional tournament at Eastmont High School in East Wenatchee.

The winner advances to the eight-team Class 1B state tournament bracket, so it is game-on.

“I told them to relish the feeling, cherish the dream and take it all in because it’s a big deal,” Correia said. “We talked about making it to the (Spokane) Arena and that it’s not like going to Disneyland and having a good time. We’ve worked too hard to get here not to put everything we have into it. We need to control the things we can and not worry about the rest.”

Gabi Isaak, the Warriors’ 5-foot-10 freshman post, leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game. But the leadership comes from seniors Brenna Oliver, a 5-foot-8, guard, Kara Oliver, a 5-foot-10 wing, and junior Berlyn Hunt, a 5-foot-6 guard. Breanna Oliver is averaging 12.7 points per game and Hunt is averaging 12.3.

“We study and pick apart what to expect from the competition, but the key is not to get caught up in what they do and focus on what we do,” Correia said. “When it’s all said and done, you just have to go out and play basketball. Everything gets amplified because it’s the playoffs, because it’s one-and-done. But there’s no need to be nervous if you’re prepared.”

There’s not much of a size differential between ACH and Entiat, so the match-ups should be pretty close. The Warriors run a four-guard running game and push the ball when they can. They can also use the size of Isaak in the paint, along with the perimeter game of the Oliver sisters.

“The first five minutes of each half are important,” Correia said. “We’re pretty good at understanding if things aren’t working one way, they don’t just keep running into a wall that’s not going to break down. They’re good at understanding what it takes to be balanced.”

As for the Tigers, they like to do some of the same things. They run, they rotate it on the perimeter and shoot the three-pointer.

“Entiat finished third in their league, but they turned around and won their district championship. I think they’re a team that’s on the rise,” Correia said. “I think they’re playing their best ball right now. They have some quick guards that shoot the ball well. We match up well and there’s not going to be any quit in either team.”