Their athletic ability was plentiful but their minds needed a tweak.
In essence, that was one of John Barhanovich’s first observations last May when he became head coach of the Archbishop Murphy girls basketball team.
The Wildcats enjoyed remarkable success during the 2004-05 season, winning 19 times in 23 tries. But when it came to facing one particularly powerful conference opponent, Archbishop Murphy withered.
The culprits: the potent King’s Knights, led by hyper-athletic guard Sara Mosiman, a University of Washington recruit. King’s, of Shoreline, which went on to win the ‘04-05 Class 2A state championship, dealt Archbishop Murphy two Cascade Conference losses last season by a bruising average of 25.5 points.
So when Barhanovich, a ‘72 Everett High graduate who previously coached the Cascade girls, took over at Archbishop Murphy, he challenged the Wildcats to change how they approach the sport — specifically when an opponent, especially King’s, has the ball.
“My philosophy is that we have to be mentally tougher defensively,” said Barhanovich, who replaced Bill Kelley, now coaching at Bellevue.
Did the Wildcats get Barhanovich’s message? Based on recent results, the answer is a booming “Yes!”
In its first 10 outings, Archbishop Murphy (1-1 Cascade Conference, 8-2 overall) limited opponents to 42 points per game, nearly seven points better than last season. But more telling was Archbishop Murphy’s recent effort in an away game against the Knights, whose only loss this season came against 4A Snohomish. King’s racked up an average of 68.5 points last season in blowout victories over Archbishop Murphy, but last Friday Barhanovich’s Wildcats slowed down the defending 2A champion in an eye-opening 53-47 defeat.
Archbishop Murphy fell behind by 16 points in the third quarter but clawed its way back into the game. The performance marked a significant step in the Wildcats’ growth under their new coach.
“They refused to let it get away from them. That was probably a point in the game where I saw they’re getting my idea,” said Barhanovich, who in 1999 guided Cascade to its first state-tourney appearance.
Archbishop Murphy standouts Lisa Coate and Krista Eknes combined for 20 points against King’s (3-0, 9-1).
“They were real positive in leading their teammates onto the court,” Barhanovich said of Coate, a 6-foot senior center, and Eknes, a 5-6 junior guard. “They’re both very good leaders (and) a strong influence on how we play.”
Coate and Eknes have helped usher in Barhanovich’s new strategy. Both players are clearly on board.
“He’s really smart and he’s really getting us to think about basketball. He’s teaching us to think before we act,” said Coate, who averages a team-best 16.2 points per game, grabs 6.4 rebounds and has made 67 percent of her field-goal attempts.
Eknes (13.9 points, 3.2 assists per game) said Barhanovich has helped Archbishop Murphy get better at “a lot of the little things” that add up to solid defense, including fighting through screens and jumping to the ball.
Besides adjusting to a new coach, the Wildcats have effectively incorporated two new starters: sophomore forward Allison Burns (8.7 ppg), who played one year at Shorewood, and freshman forward Alyssa Smith (7.1 ppg).
Coate and Eknes are used to piling up points, but they are more than happy to share the ball with talented teammates.
“That’s really a very positive thing for both of them,” Barhanovich said. “Scoring is part of what they do but it’s not their main focus. And both of them have improved defensively.”
As Archbishop Murphy continues to evolve, it will face plenty of challenges. But it’s only natural for the Wildcats to get excited about the Jan. 31 rematch against King’s, when the Wildcats hope to keep their home crowd roaring.
Expect the new coach to keep his players on task.
“We’ve got to maintain our focus,” Barhanovich said. “We can’t get complacent.”
Mike Cane writes for The Herald in Everett.
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