Columbia Basin roundup: WIAA makes tweaks to basketball's RPI formula
RENTON — The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association made a few changes to its RPI formula for prep boys and girls basketball.
The RPI will now factor out-of-state games into its formula for the 2017-18 season, per executive board action taken at the March 18-19 meeting. This season out-of-state opponents counted as a .500 team.
Moses Lake boys basketball played three games in an Arizona tournament in December, finishing 1-2. Those losses hurt Moses Lake’s RPI more than it should have — Estrella Foothills and Rio Rico combined to finish 40-12 and both reached Arizona’s 4A state tournament. More, Moses Lake beat Coronado of Nevada, a team that had a record of 19-11.
All three teams were well over .500.
In addition to out-of-state games counting, district tournament games will also count toward the RPI. This past season, a team’s RPI number was locked in after the regular season, which diminished some district tournament games.
Moses Lake boys and girls basketball both reached district championship games that, in past years, would have been played for state tournament seeding. However, with the RPI already locked, the games were effectively played for pride.
The Class 1A South Central Athletic Conference’s district tournament even eliminated some consolation games for team’s that already clinched a state berth.
The final change is that Australian travel teams will now count as non-varsity games and won’t count in the RPI formula. Othello boys basketball played an Australian travel team in 2016.
Tennis
Moses Lake takes care of Kennewick
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake rebounded from a loss to Wenatchee on Tuesday by beating Kennewick in a non-league match at home.
The boys and girls both won 5-2.
Boys singles: Nathan Webster (K) d. Canon Gregoire 6-4, 6-1; Robbie Ricchi (K) d. Trent Vance 6-1, 6-1; David Hernandez (ML) d. Hunter Scwartz 6-2, 6-0; Brian Nguyen (ML) d. Rod Robles 6-2, 6-1
Boys doubles: James Zimmer/Kade Greenburg (ML) d. Garrison Donovan/George Guerra 6-1, 6-2; Garrett Vance/Vaughn Koreis (ML) d. Elias Zaragada/Mat Lin 6-2, 6-0; Nic Pedraza/Travis Holt (ML) d. Cayden Redman/Israel Rodriguez 6-1, 6-2
Girls singles: April Buckingham (K) d. Gabby Strode 6-1, 6-1; Cora Bruneel (ML) d. Kennewick 2-6, 6-2, 10-6; Kennewick d. Erin Manly 6-4, 1-6, 11-9; Brianna Ceja (ML) d. Kennewick 6-4, 6-1
Girls doubles: Shamra Roylance/Sidney Robison (ML) d. Kennewick 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (2-7), 10-5; Mikena Loutherback/Alayna Cole (ML) d. Kennewick 6-2, 6-1; Caitlyn Loyd/Sara Mengist (ML) d. Kennewick 6-3, 6-1.