4A girls tournament predictions and 5 to watch
Published 11:34 pm Monday, February 25, 2008
Semifinalists
Prairie, Lewis &Clark, Jackson, Ballard
Championship
Lewis &Clark 54, Jackson 49
Dark horse
Kentwood
Inside the number
3 — Lewis &Clark seeks its third-consecutive state title
Must-see first-round game:
Moses Lake (21-5) vs. Jackson (22-1), 5 p.m. Wednesday
Why? Tenth-ranked Moses Lake has a huge post presence (6-foot-5 center Carly Noyes). Jackson doesn’t, but the third-ranked Timberwolves, led by always-hustling, high-scoring senior guard Kristi Kingma, have proven they can compensate for lack of height with speed and pressure defense.
5 GIRLS TO WATCH:
Ashley Corral, Sr.
Prairie; 5-9, guard
Before she became a University of Southern California recruit and a McDonald’s High School All-American, Corral played on the Mill Creek Wolfpack select team with Kristi Kingma and Eryn Jones, who of course became star guards at Jackson and Meadowdale. Like Kingma and Jones, Corral generates outstanding all-around performances and always seems at least one step ahead of the opposition.
Kristi Kingma, Sr.
Jackson; 5-11, guard
The Herald’s reigning All-Area Player of the Year, Kingma wants to conclude her prep hoops career at the top. “I just want to go out with a bang, and all of our seniors, we want to finish our year strong. Obviously, we want the state championship,” said Kingma, who will make her third state-tourney appearance after scoring a career-high 36 points Saturday against Lake Stevens. The University of Washington recruit has an unreal mid-range jump shot and never hesitates to dive for a loose ball.
Lindsey Moore, Jr.
Kentwood; 5-10, guard
Moore nearly led the Conquerors to a non-conference upset against Jackson Jan. 21 in Seattle, scoring a then-season-high 27 points. Since that defeat, the well-rounded guard (17.8, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game) has helped Kentwood generate a nine-game winning streak that included impressive victories over state-tourney teams Puyallup, Graham-Kapowsin, Bellarmine Prep and Mount Tahoma.
Shauneice Samms, Sr.
Mount Tahoma; 5-9, forward
Invite Samms to a block party and she’ll hog the spotlight. The quick, long-armed senior is one of the state’s most dominant defenders, averaging 6.1 blocks per game. She also inflicts plenty of damage on offense (16.1 points per game). As if that weren’t enough, Samms, the All-Narrows Bay Division Most Valuable Player, also rocks at rebounding (13.1 per game).
Ashlee Smith, Sr.
Skyview; 6-0, forward
Few players in the tourney provide as much scoring and rebounding as Smith, a St. Mary’s College recruit who averages 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Storm. She had a huge game (24 points, 10 boards) Saturday in a victory against Redmond that launched Skyview to its second-straight appearance at the state championships. After going two-and-out last year, sixth-ranked Skyview could ride Smith to a top-eight trophy.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
