| March
9: TACOMA -- Redmond
has played some of the top teams in the state this year, including
top-ranked Garfield and Monroe, but University High of Spokane might just
be the best. The Titans, led by sisters Jamie and Angie Bjorklund,
dismantled Redmond 70-43 in the opening round of the 4A girls state
tournament yesterday at the Tacoma Dome. "They are very capable of
winning the state title," Redmond coach Pat Bangasser said after the
game. "I think they're one of the best teams we've played all
year."
Jamie Bjorklund, a 5-foot-11
senior, and Angie, a 5-11 sophomore, combined for 25 of the Titans' 35
first half points. "They're fun and they love to play
basketball," coach Mark Stinson said. "They've gotten better as
the season's gone on and so has the team." The Titans held Mackenzie
Flynn, Redmond's leading scorer with a 14.3 average, to nine points. Angie
Bjorklund led all scorers with 21 points and seven rebounds. Jamie
Bjorklund had 16 points and nine rebounds.
TACOMA -- Redmond might indeed be
better prepared for the state tournament than any other team in the field.
Even so, preparing for University turned out to be something entirely
different. And after Wednesday's 70-43 loss to the Titans in the opening
round of the Class 4A state girls basketball tournament, Redmond coach Pat
Bangasser's team might have seen enough to know it has played the best.
``(University) is very capable of winning the state title,'' said
Bangasser, whose team continues play today at noon in the consolation
round against Foss. ``That's the best team we've faced.'' Redmond would
know. The Mustangs (18-7) entered the Tacoma Dome having survived one of
the toughest schedules in the state. Two of their six losses came to
Garfield, the top-ranked team in the state. Three other losses came to
state qualifiers. Redmond entered the state tournament with the second
lowest winning percentage. University (25-1) came from Spokane with the
best.
The Titans, who did not place in
last year's tournament, lived up to their billing by handing Redmond its
worst loss of the season. University is making its third appearance in the
4A state tournament. ``There's not a lot of subpar teams in this
tournament,'' University coach Mark Stinson said. ``We're just trying to
redeem ourselves from last year.'' The Mustangs were within six points at
the half, 35-29, after finishing on an 8-2 run. But in the second half,
they were kept to 14 points, shooting 15 percent from the field. Moreover,
University outrebounded Redmond, 28-12 in the second half and shot 42
percent for the game.
Sophomore Angie Bjorklund,
considered to be one of the best players in the state, scored a game-high
21 points and had seven rebounds. Her sister, senior Jami Bjorklund, had
16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Bjorklunds sat out the final
minutes of the game as the Titans' lead swelled as high as 25 points.
``Those two are our team leaders,'' Stinson said. ``We're just fortunate
to come over here and show the rest of the state that we're a good team.''
Redmond, which is making its six appearance at state in seven years, was
led by Jackie Olson's 11 points, five rebounds and three steals. Mackenzie
Flynn and Colleen Betteridge each had nine. ``We played a good team,''
Bangasser said. ``It seemed like we ran out of gas and I don't know why.``
Redmond
- Isherwood 4, Ball, Perugini, Tews 1, C. Fishel, Radtke 4, Flynn 9, Betteridge
9, Olson 9, Edwards 5, Leuning 2.
University
- Bjorkland A 21, Schedding 3, Lanker 4, Crisp, Schnibbe 2, Zack 8, Kuipers 11,
Bjorkland J 16, Schiermiester, Erickson 5. Redmond 11
18 6 8 - 43
University
19 16 18 17 - 70 March
10 TACOMA
-- Redmond's tumultuous start, however heartbreaking it might have been,
was not in vain. The month of December produced a team that can recover
from losing big leads and big games. Jumping to a 15-point lead in the
first quarter, the Mustangs had to weather a furious fourth-quarter
assault to defeat Foss, 67-56, in the consolation round of the Class 4A
state tournament on Thursday in the Tacoma Dome. ``Our team is more mature
now,'' Redmond guard Mackenzie Flynn said. The Mustangs began the season
4-3, losing games to Monroe, Snohomish and Lewis & Clark by a total of
seven points, all during December. In each game, Redmond watched
second-half leads morph into narrow losses. Monroe, Snohomish and Lewis
& Clark all won their first-round games at state. Redmond plays Gig
Harbor today at 12:30 p.m. in a loser-out game. The winner gets a chance
to play for fourth place on Saturday. The Mustangs beat the Tides earlier
in the season, 54-43. The Mustangs (19-7) suffered their worst defeat of
the season to University in the opening round on Wednesday. They were
out-rebounded in the game, 46-27, including 28-12 during the second half.
But when Foss embarked on an 8-0 run during the fourth quarter on
Thursday, it was Redmond's work on the glass that helped turn the tide.
``A reason we've been losing games
like this is because we haven't got a body on someone,'' Mustangs guard
Tanna Radtke said. ``We got killed on the boards (Wednesday) and we know
that; we admit that.'' Different story on Thursday as Redmond won the
battle of the boards, 46-36. Erika Edwards led the Mustangs with nine
rebounds to go along with 14 points. Flynn, who became a key offensive
factor after picking up her fourth foul, had eight rebounds to go along
with a game-high 18 points and four steals. Fast finish for Flynn After
picking up her fourth foul late in the third quarter, Flynn scored eight
of Redmond's final 12 points in the game. ``I noticed that they were in
the bonus, too,'' Flynn said, ``and when that happens, you have to attack
the hoop.''
Foul trouble hindered the Mustangs'
best efforts in the opening game of the tournament as Edwards, the team's
leading scorer, fouled out, and Radtke, Redmond's best defender, played
with four fouls during the second half. ``We are a very aggressive team,''
Flynn said. ``I think a lot of times when we get into foul trouble, it's
because we're not boxing out and we end up hacking.'' Edwards played all
but 29 seconds against Foss (19-8). Radtke, who earned the sportsmanship
award for the game, scored eight of her 14 points in the final nine
minutes of the game. The Mustangs' senior also had seven rebounds,
including five at the offensive end, and five assists. To complete the
turnaround that took less than 24 hours, Redmond shot 45 percent in the
second half Thursday compared to just 15 percent against University. ``We've
talked about it all season,'' Redmond coach Pat Bangasser said. ``Whether
you win or lose, it's play, recover, play.''
Redmond
- Isherwood, Ball, Perugini 2, Tews 5, C. Fishel, Radtke 12, Flynn 20,
Betteridge 7, Olson 3, Edwards 16,
Leuning 2.
Foss - Tate 8, McBride, Wortham-Ragland, Knittel 11, Purugganan
3, Bolong-Pleasant 6, Nance 7, Perugganan S 7, Johnson, Craig, Ward 14.
Redmond 23
8 16 20 - 67
Foss 10
13 11 22 - 56
March 10 TACOMA
-- After being crushed by University of Spokane on the first day of the
tournament, the Mustangs have been intent on leaving a better impression.
Mission accomplished. Redmond (20-7) rebounded by bouncing Foss of Tacoma
on Thursday, then dispatching a gutsy Gig Harbor team. "We just
wanted to come out and prove we deserved to be here," senior
Mackenzie Flynn said. The Mustangs play Kentlake in the fifth-place game
today and are assured of their fifth trophy in six years. They missed last
year's tournament, when Roosevelt and Garfield grabbed the only KingCo
Conference berths and went on to finish 1-2 at state. Against Gig Harbor
(19-9), Redmond took control after the first quarter, extending a
one-point lead to eight by halftime, 32-24. Erika Edwards then fueled a
15-2 run in the third period with eight of her 13 points. She also grabbed
13 rebounds and was one of four Redmond players to score in double
figures.
TACOMA -- Tanna Radtke's image is
getting a bit of a makeover because of her play in the Class 4A state
girls basketball tournament. The Redmond senior guard has always been
regarded as one of the best defensive players around. But she has
demonstrated the past three days that she is capable of doing much more
than that. The often-overlooked Radtke scored a career-high 16 points and
carried the Mustangs through the second half of a 60-41 victory against
Gig Harbor Friday afternoon in a consolation game at the Tacoma Dome. The
Mustangs will play Kentlake today at 11:30 a.m., with the winner taking
fifth place and the loser finishing eighth.
``I think she's really stepped it
up at state,'' Redmond junior forward Erika Edwards said of Radtke.
Because she is a defensive standout, Radtke has been assigned to guard
some of the state's top players. On offense, however, she gives way to
three players who average in double figures. And, in the backcourt, she
teams up with Idaho State-bound Mackenzie Flynn. But since the state
tournament began on Wednesday, Radtke has provided Redmond with an
unexpected dose of offense that complements her usual high-energy brand of
defense. After three games, she's second on the team in scoring, averaging
a little more than 11 points a contest. She averaged just 6.4 points a
game before the tournament. In addition to her game-high 16 on Friday,
Radtke also had four offensive rebounds, seven assists and three steals
for the Mustangs. She scored 14 points against Foss on Thursday.
``She's risen to the occasion,''
Redmond coach Pat Bangasser said. The Mustangs (20-7) have risen
accordingly. Since their 27-point loss to University in the opening round,
the Mustangs have trailed just twice in the last eight quarters: Both were
two-point deficits early in the games. Against Gig Harbor, Redmond built
its lead to as many as 21 points in the third quarter on Hannah Leuning's
jumper with a minute and 24 seconds to go. It was the final blow of a 15-2
run that opened the second half and a run that was marked -- and sometimes
marred -- by physical play. After a timeout with 2:50 left in the third
quarter, players from both teams were called to midcourt by officials in
an attempt to ease tensions. ``I don't think people did anything dirty,''
Bangasser said. ``It was just people who wanted to play on Saturday.''
Redmond has dealt with foul trouble
throughout the tournament. Flynn, who finished with nine points, fouled
out with less than two minutes remaining and was used sparingly in the
second half. Against Foss on Thursday, Flynn, the team's leading scorer in
the tournament, played the final quarter with four fouls. Edwards scored
nine of the Mustangs' 15 points during the third-quarter run, but she went
to the bench with a minute to go in the third after she picked up her
fourth foul. Edwards, who finished with 13 points and a game-high 13
rebounds, fouled out in the opener against University. Mustangs senior
forward Jackie Olson had 14 points, eight of which came in the first five
minutes of the game. She, too, coped with foul trouble. Redmond had 10
team fouls before the third quarter ended, putting Gig Harbor in the
bonus. The Tides (19-9), who had lost to Redmond earlier in the season,
was 20 of 28 from the line. The Tide shot 23 percent from the floor for
the game. With several Mustangs in foul trouble, including their top three
scorers, Radtke scored nine of the team's 13 points during the fourth
quarter.
* ALSO: Bangasser said it's likely
Radtke will be assigned to the Falcons' spark plug, Luv Rattler, who
scored 22 points in Kentlake's 59-56 overtime victory against Eisenhower.
Rattler dropped a pair of 3-pointers late in regulation to tie the game.
Redmond's Colleen Betteridge was given the sportsmanship award after the
Mustangs' win.
Redmond
- Isherwood, Ball, Perugini 3, Tews 3, Fishel, Radtke 16, Flynn 9,
Betteridge, Olson 14, Edwards 13, Leuning 2.
Gig Harbor - North, 10, Scott 9, Tribble, Rubert 6, Betterbed 10,
Bohnett, Simpson, Hacker E 6, Johns, Sexson, Hacker T.
Redmond 16
16 15 13 - 60
Gig Harbor 15 9
7 10 - 41
March 11 TACOMA
-- Kentlake stumbled three days ago upon a winning formula -- a volatile
mixture with quite a kick at the end. Redmond was the last to get a taste
Saturday morning and didn't like it much. With another fourth-quarter
comeback -- although less remarkable than the first two -- Kentlake
defeated the Mustangs, 38-35, in the Tacoma Dome to secure fifth place at
the Class 4A state tournament, the best finish in school history. ``I
think our kids are mentally tough,'' Kentlake coach Chris Carr said. ``If
they see that there's a chance, they are going to do everything they
can.''
All three of Kentlake's wins in the
state tournament required fourth-quarter rallies. The Falcons upset
Meadowdale in the second round by holding the Mavericks to 11 points in
the second half. Kentlake (25-4) limited Redmond to just 12 points in the
second half. ``Our shots didn't fall,'' Redmond guard Mackenzie Flynn
said. ``You're not going to win games scoring 12 points in the second
half.'' The Idaho-bound Flynn scored a team-high 12 points for the
Mustangs (20-8), and she accounted for half of Redmond's offense in the
second half. Flynn hit a pair of free throws that gave the Mustangs a
35-33 lead with 3:44 remaining. Redmond's offense self-destructed after
that, turning the ball over on four straight possessions. The Mustangs,
whose lead reached as high as eight, committed 10 turnovers in the second
half. ``It was more on us,'' Flynn said. ``It laid in our hands. I never
really felt they made a run that hurt us.''
Kentlake senior guard Luv Rattler,
who brought the Falcons back from the brink of elimination Friday, also
had 12 points, but just four in the second half. She tied the game, 35-35,
with less than three minutes to go by driving the lane for a scoop layup.
Against Eisenhower Friday, Rattler hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final
42 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime. The Falcons
trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half of that game. Tanna
Radtke, Redmond's top defender, kept Rattler in check for the most part
Saturday. Radtke picked up two fouls during the game's opening two
minutes. While she was on the bench, Rattler hit two 3-pointers. ``Luv did
a good job considering she was being defended by their best defender,''
Kentlake senior forward Allyson Sievers said. Sievers also became mired in
foul trouble, picking up three in the first half. But she returned to
scored 11 of her game-high 13 points in the second half. Sievers, who had
22 points in Friday's comeback, sank the game-winning free throws with
25.2 seconds left. ``I was definitely frustrated in that first half
because I had to sit,'' Sievers said. ``No one ever gave up on us and we
never got down on ourselves.''
For the fourth straight game,
Redmond had to contend with foul trouble among the starting five. Forward
Jackie Olson became the latest member of the starting quintet to foul out.
Her fifth foul sent Sievers to the line with the game tied, 35-35. Erika
Edwards, who had nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds, picked up her
fourth foul in the final seconds of the third quarter. She fouled out of
the tournament opener against University. Flynn, who fouled out Friday,
received her fourth foul later in the game. But it was the Mustangs' poor
shooting performance in the second half that led to their eighth-place
finish. Redmond missed all eight of its 3-point attempts in the second
half. None came closer than the final attempt. Redmond called a timeout
with two seconds left to set up its final play in hopes of tying the game.
``There were some tears,'' Redmond coach Pat Bangasser said. ``I had to
say to them, `We still have a few seconds to go.''' Within two ticks,
Flynn's inbound cross-court pass to Edwards was kicked out to Radtke, who
led the Mustangs in scoring with 16 Friday. Her shot skipped off the iron.
Radtke's rim-rattler as time expired would have sent the Kentlake into its
third straight overtime game. When it didn't fall, the boisterous Kentlake
cheering section erupted with the buzzer. ``I couldn't ask for anything
better,'' Sievers said.
* ALSO: Edwards had 26 rebounds
during the final two games of the tournament for Redmond. The Mustangs
played six of the eight teams that placed at the 4A tournament. It was the
fifth time in six seasons Bangasser's team has placed. Kentlake's best
finished before Saturday was sixth. It was the first time the Falcons won
their final game of the state tournament.
Kentlake
- Henley M, Henley 6, Hozberger 2, Hucking, Jackson 5, Johnson, Ralph, Rattler
12, Sievers A 13, Sievers S.
Redmond
- Perugini 7, Tews, Radtke, Flynn 12, Betteridge 4, Olson 3, Edwards 9, Leuning.
Kentlake
6 11 8 13 - 38
Redmond 8 15
4 8 - 35
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