If you polled coaches of teams focused on winning state titles on whether they'd like to be unbeaten going into the tournament, you'd probably get differing opinions. All of course would love to finish as unbeaten champions. However, some would not like the pressure of an unbeaten record at the peak time of the year, while others would point to the built-up confidence and aura of invicibility.
The answers would be varied and, based on last week, they should be.
Amanda Harms: Big Loss for Issaquah |
As far as that aura of invincibility, it's obviously worked for Prairie in the Greater St. Helens League. Although Skyview started the season strongly and had its best season in years, it lost to Prairie for the second time this season, falling behind by 20. It was Prairie's 91st straight league victory.
Meanwhile, River Ridge hadn't lost in league play for nearly two years (Feb. 16, 2004) and was defending a regular-season unbeaten record. Tumwater, the Hawks' opponents last Thursday, meanwhile had been a somewhat underachieving season. Those two factors reversed when, with 13 seconds to play, Ashley Andrews stole a River Ridge inbound pass, then 10 seconds later kissed the game-winner in off the glass.
The aura also didn't work in KingCo 3A, where defending champion Issaquah had been unbeaten. However, with Amanda Harms out for the rest of the year with a knee injury, the Eagles fell to Skyline, which was powered by Madison Maloney's 19 points and Jordan Pelluer's 17.
In a case where the aura has kind of worked, Kennedy, which has owned the Seamount League, got off to a very wobbly start. Lindbergh, on the other hand, was having a memorable season - until it suffered its only loss to Kennedy on Jan. 23. The Lancers seemed to right themselves during the holidays when they knocked off aforementioned Tumwater to start a streak of 13 straight wins with which they closed the regular season.
So now Kennedy and Lindbergh will break the tie atop Seamount with a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday at Hazen.
The HoopGurlz.com Elite Eleven high-school girls basketball team rankings are featured on KING-TV's Sports Blitz and The Seattle Times.
Click Here to Discuss Washington High School Rankings
| HoopGurlz.com Elite Eleven |
Washington State's Top Teams Without Regard to Classification
Records Through Feb. 10 |
|
|
|
1. Kentwood (4A) Record: 20-0 Last: 1
Comment: Can Conks be challenged before State? |
2. Roosevelt (4A) Record: 18-0 Last: 2
Comment: Wake us up when districts begin. |
3. Meadowdale (3A) Record: 18-0 Last: 3
Comment: Marelle Moehrle had 51 points in two games last week. |
4. Lewis and Clark (4A) Record: 17-1 Last: 4
Comment: Won first outright GSL title in 10 years. |
5. University (4A) Record: 16-2 Last: 5
Comment: Angie Bjorklund had 36 pts, 11 reb, 10 assists in finale. |
6. Mt. Tahoma (4A) Record: 20-0 Last: 6
Comment: Won Narrows title without starting guards. |
7. Chief Sealth (3A) Record: 14-3 Last: 7
Comment: Rainier Beach didn't even make a dent in two tries. |
8. Moses Lake (4A) Record: 18-1 Last: 8
Comment: Probably will face Pasco once again this week. |
9. Jackson (4A) Record: 16-2 Last: 9
Comment: Two wins from State. |
10. Auburn Riverside (3A) Record: 16-2 Last: 10
Comment: How far can Ravens go without Stephanie Wilber? |
11. Anacortes (2A) Record: 19-0 Last: NR
Comment: Have beaten 4A foes Inglemoor, Bethel, Cascade |
The Wait List
Bellevue Christian (1A) 16-2; Black Hills (2A) 14-4; Brewster (1A) 21-2; Clarkston (2A) 14-4; Colfax (1A) 18-2; Columbia (1A) 17-1; Curlew (1B) 21-1; East Valley (2A) 13-3; Ellensburgh (2A) 13-3; Evergreen Lutheran (2B) 18-1; Garfield (4A) 14-6; Inglemoor (4A) 15-5; Issaquah (3A) 15-4; Kennedy (3A) 15-5; King's (1A) 18-1; Lakeside (3A) 16-4; Lake Stevens (4A) 14-6; LaSalle (1B) 18-2; Lincoln (4A) 16-5; Lindbergh (3A) 19-1; Lynden Christian (1A) 18-1; Mead (4A) 16-4; Monroe (4A) 15-5; Pasco (4A) 18-1; Prairie (4A) 16-3; Pullman (2A) 18-0; Rainier Beach (3A) 15-4; River Ridge (2A) 16-1; Seattle Prep (3A) 17-2; Shadle Park (4A) 14-6; Shoreline Christian (1A) 19-1; Skyline (3A) 17-2; Skyview (4A) 15-4; Woodinville (4A) 14-6; Woodland (2A) 16-2.
|
This Week's Key Games
Tue., Feb. 13, Pullman at Clarkston, 5:45 pm
Tue., Feb. 13, Lakeside at Chief Sealth, Metro playoffs, 7 pm
Tue., Feb. 13, Rainier Beach at Seattle Prep, Metro playoffs, 7 pm
Tue., Feb. 13, Kennedy vs. Lindbergh, tie-breaker at Hazen, 7 pm
Wed., Feb. 14, Snohomish at Kamiak, NW 4A District, 7:30 pm
Fri., Feb. 16, GSL 3rd Place, at Central Valley, 5:45 pm
Fri., Feb. 16, KingCo 3A 3rd Place, Bellevue C.C., 4:45 pm
Fri., Feb. 16, GSL Championship, at Central Valley, 7:45 pm
Fri., Feb. 16, KingCo 3A Championship, 8:15 pm
Sat., Feb. 17, Metro League 3rd, SPU, 11:15 am
Sat., Feb. 17, Metro League Championship, SPU, 5:30 pm
Sat., Feb. 17, Lynden at Sehome, 7:30 pm
Sat., Feb. 17, Columbia Basin 4A Championship, 7:30 pm
|
|
More Elite Eleven Rankings:
Dec. 4: No Satisfaction for Issy
Dec. 11: Sealth or Riverside?
Jan. 8: Stuff Happened
Jan. 17: Week with Buzz
Jan. 23: Cream Has Risen
Jan. 29: Second Time Around
Jan. 29: Any More Questions?
Discuss This on Our Message Board:
Click Here
Glenn Nelson is the publisher of HoopGurlz.com and the editor-in-chief of Scout Media (www.Scout.com), an online sports network and magazine-publishing company and subsidiary of Fox Interactive Media. Glenn also founded and
coached
the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams. He previously was a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The
Seattle
Times. His work also has appeared in several national magazines and books. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing,
2002). He
can be reached at hoopgurlz@comcast.net.
|