The Prairie girls basketball team would take a repeat performance against Kennedy of Burien, but the Falcons would prefer to play a much better game.
It was only 10 days ago when Prairie beat Kennedy 52-46 for the Class 3A bi-district girls basketball tournament championship in Kent.
The Falcons, though, say they can play better. What remains to be seen is how much better Kennedy will be when the two team clash this morning in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state tournament in the Tacoma Dome.
Tip-off is 10:30 a.m.
“I think it will be a game of adjustments from the last time,” Prairie coach Al Aldridge said. “How many will they make? How many will we make? And will they be effective?”
Heather Corral will not be able to watch her teammates play Friday because she is scheduled to undergo surgery.
Her doctor squeezed her into a tight schedule, and Corral said she had to take it this week or wait another month.
A junior, Corral said she wanted her torn anterior cruciate ligament repaired as soon as possible in order to return for her senior season.
Heather Corral will not be able to watch her teammates play Friday because she is scheduled to undergo surgery.
Her doctor squeezed her into a tight schedule, and Corral said she had to take it this week or wait another month.
A junior, Corral said she wanted her torn anterior cruciate ligament repaired as soon as possible in order to return for her senior season.
Aldridge said he saw a lot of room for improvement for the Falcons when he checked out the game video.
Prairie was playing its first game without its leader, Heather Corral, who injured her knee the previous outing. The offense was out of sync for much of the Kennedy game, yet the defense was strong enough to capture the bi-district crown.
The Lancers can probably say the same about their game, too.
Aminah Williams, who has signed with the University of Washington, made her first four shots, but then connected on two of her last 12 from the floor. She did have a monster game on the boards, with 24 rebounds.
The team’s second- and third-leading scorers, Allie Madison and Jasmine Lemon, both had off shooting performances and were held below their per-game averages in points.
“We’re working on the things we didn’t do well, and I assume they’re working on the things they didn’t do well,” Aldridge said.
For the most part, both teams have done a lot of good things this season. Prairie won its opening round game in the state tournament to improve to 25-0. The Falcons are ranked second in the state by The Seattle Times. Kennedy, meanwhile, is 23-3 — with the loss to Prairie and two losses to top-ranked Holy Names.
The Falcons won a holiday tournament in Wyoming, the league, district, and bi-district crowns. The goal has always been to claim five titles.
“I feel like this is the year that we’re going to win it,” senior Angela Gelhar said. “I feel it is a special year.”
If Prairie wins today, the Falcons will play in the semifinals at 3:45 p.m. Friday. The championship game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.
Prairie already had reached the state tournament for the 14th consecutive season. But under the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s new format this year, the quarterfinal games are the first in the Tacoma Dome.
“We’re excited to be going again,” Aldridge said. “No better atmosphere for basketball than at the state tournament. I also feel like we’re a little bit of a Cinderella. Everyone knows we’re short-handed, but we can still be successful.”
Across the state in Spokane, meanwhile, the Columbia Adventist boys are set to play in the elite eight of the Class 1B tournament.
In the first season that Columbia Adventist opted to participate in a WIAA-sanctioned postseason, the Kodiaks will take on Colton at 7:15 p.m.
If the Kodiaks win, it is expected that the semifinal game will be moved to Friday afternoon to accommodate the team’s religious beliefs. Columbia Adventist athletes will not play from sundown Friday through sundown Saturday.
The Kodiaks advanced to the quarterfinals with a 62-60 victory over Lummi in a winner-to-Spokane game Friday. Colton had to win back-to-back games Friday and Saturday to make it to Spokane. Colton defeated Wellpinit by 11 points, then dominated Moses Lake Christian by 26 points.
Columbia Adventist, 16-0, is led by Columbia Valley All-League MVP Tevita Palaki and Thomas Reed, who earned first-team all-league status.
