From the Goal Line » basketball

Final note on basketball

Megan Managan — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:11:45 +0000

One last note about basketball, with a few of the MIHS players taking part in various post season games this weekend.

Hannah Lilly has committed to play as part of tomorrow nights All-State girls basketball team. She’s the only member of the girls team, who finished sixth at state this year, to play in the all-state game. It will be at Seattle Christian High School, sponsored by the state’s coaches association, with the 3A/4A game starting at 7 p.m. The cost is $7 for adult and $4 for students. Kids under 10 are free.

Also on Saturday, several players from MI will have the chance to take part in the second annual Comcast All-Star Challenge at 4 p.m., this Friday at Bellevue College. On the underclassmen navy team Haley Gullstad and Jae Shin will represent the Islanders, while Lilly will play for the senior team. On the boys side Kaj Sherman will play for the seniors, while Quinn Sterling and Brian Miller will play on the underclassmen team.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students with ASB and seniors. The games will also be available 48 hours after the event on Games Comcast’s On Demand.

Girls basketball district update

Megan Managan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:13:12 +0000

The Mercer Island girls basketball team – who earned a first round bye in the district tournament – will be playing Lakeside tomorrow night starting at 6:30 p.m. at Bellevue College.

The girls, who had to top seed going into the tournament, are searching for one of the four state berths given to the KingCo and Metro league teams.

If the girls win on Friday night they will move into the semi-finals on March 2. Here’s a breakdown on the possibilities:

With a win: girls advance to 8:15 p.m. March 2 semi-final at Bellevue College. They will play either Nathan Hale or Seattle Prep (whoever wins)

With a loss: girls move into consolation bracket and play the loser of the Nathan Hale/Seattle Prep game. If the girls lose at any point after this they will be done for the season.

Also still alive in the girls tournament is Juanita, who will play Holy Names and Bellevue who goes up against Cleveland.

The championship game will be held March 6 at Bellevue College. The top four teams from this tournament advance to the state tournament in Tacoma March 10-13.

Basketball playoff update

Megan Managan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:00:52 +0000

Now that teams have finished their regular season games the KingCo basketball bracket and schedule is pretty much set to go. Both the Mercer Island teams made the cut for the league tournament, which starts Tuesday night at higer seeded schools.

Boys tournament

The MI boys will play Tuesday, against Juanita at MIHS starting at 7 p.m. in a loser out game.

“Tuesday’s Kingco playoff game versus Juanita is a loser out game and you can throw the records out. They are going to come in and play hard and they have some dangerous weapons. We can’t be looking ahead,” said boys head coach Gavin Cree after Thursday’s home win over Mount Si.

Sammamish will take on Liberty in the No. 4/No. 5 game at Sammamish on Tuesday. The winner of the Mercer Island/Juanita game will play Mount Si at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18 at Bellevue College, while Bellevue, the No. 1 boys seed, will take on the winner of the Sammamish/Liberty game.

Girls tournament

Mercer Island earned a bye in the first round after clinching the KingCo title, heading into the tournament as No. 1. They will play on Thursday night at Bellevue College at 8:15 p.m. against the winner of the Liberty/Mount Si game which takes place Tuesday night.

For the rest of the KingCo teams, Tuesday is the big day with Juanita hosting Interlake and Mount Si hosting Liberty. The winner of the Juanita/Interlake game will play Bellevue on Thursday evening.

Championship round

The KingCo tournament will finish up on Friday, Feb. 19 at Bellevue College. The 3rd/4th place boys game will be at 3 p.m. Friday, with the 3rd/4th girls tipping off at 4:45 p.m.

The boys championship will be at 6:30 p.m. and the girls is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m.

Prices

Due to the fact this is a league tournament students will not be able to get into games free with their ASB cards (as they can throughout the regular season). Here’s the price breakdown from KingCo:

Adult/students without ASB       $6.00
Students (with ASB)                     $4.00
Children K-8                                  $4.00
Pre-school                                      N/C
Senior Citizens (60 yrs +)           $4.00

Week 10 basketball poll

Megan Managan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:40:04 +0000

Here are the week 10 basketball rankings. A few notes before diving into the rankings – The MI girls jumped up a spot to No. 3 this week, and last night were confirmed as KingCo champs again this year. Bellevue lost to Mount Si, clearing the way for the Islanders.

The Bellevue boys, ranked No. 2 this week, will likely/possibly drop next week after Tuesday night’s loss to Mount Si, who are ranked No. 6 right now. The shake-up could definitely make next week’s KingCo tournament an interesting one!

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (19-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (17-1)
3. Curtis (19-1)
4. Richland (16-3)
5. Jackson (16-2)
6. Walla Walla (16-3)
7. Kamiakin (15-4)
8. Skyline (15-3)
9. Garfield (14-4)
10. Lake Stevens
Others receiving votes: Davis (15-4), Eastlake (13-5), Decatur (14-6), Bellarmine Prep (14-6)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (20-0)
2. Woodinville (17-1)
3. Issaquah (15-3)
4. Federal Way (17-3)
5. Chiawana (16-2)
6. Edmonds-Woodway (18-1)
7. Newport (16-2)
8. Jackson (16-3)
9. Bellarmine Prep (14-6)
10. Kentwood (16-4)
Others receiving votes: Richland (15-4), Bethel (16-4), Marysville-Pilchuck (15-5), Mount Tahoma (17-3)

Class 3A boys
1. Enumclaw (18-0)
2. Bellevue (17-1)
3. Rainier Beach (15-3)
4. Seattle Prep (14-4)
5. Lakes (15-3)
6. Mount Si (14-4)
7. Capital (16-1)
8. Shadle Park (14-4)
9. Meadowdale (14-4)
10. O’Dea (13-6)
Others receiving votes: Mead (13-5), Bremerton (11-4), Kennedy Catholic (13-6), Franklin Pierce (12-5), Foster (13-5)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (17-2)
2. Kennedy Catholic (16-2)
3. Mercer Island (14-4)
4. White River (15-3)
5. Bonney Lake (15-4)
6. Port Angeles (15-2)
7. Mount Rainier (15-3)
8. Prarie (14-4)
9. Lakes (12-6)
10. Central Valley (14-4)
Others receiving votes: West Valley (12-6), Bellevue (12-6), Olympic (13-4), Yelm (13-5), Shorecrest (13-6), Capital (13-5), Seattle Prep (11-6)

Week 9 basketball poll

Megan Managan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:24:04 +0000

Here is the Week 9 basketball poll. Things are starting to cement as the post-season draws closer – at least in the top spots. Although I will say teams who lose at this point are likely to fall far, as was the case with Issaquah, who went from No. 2 in the 4A girls poll all the way down to No. 4. The Newport girls hung tough, edging up to the vacant No. 2 spot.

Bellevue is still dominating the 3A boys league, locally and across the state with a perfect Enumclaw team their only obstacle to No. 1. Tonight the Wolverine’s host the Mercer Island boys and tomorrow the Mercer Island girls, who stayed in No. 4 travel to take on Bellevue.

As the post-season gets closer – who do you think will be moving up or down as the season continues? Thoughts/comments? Let me know!

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (16-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (16-1)
3. Curtis (17-1)
4. Jackson (15-1)
5. Walla Walla (15-2)
6. Kamiakin (12-3)
7. Richland (14-3)
8. Skyline (13-3)
9. Lake Stevens (13-4)
10. Garfield (12-4)
Others receiving votes: Beamer (13-5), Decatur (13-6)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (18-0)
2. Newport (15-1)
3. Woodinville (15-1)
4. Issaquah (13-3)
5. Federal Way (15-4)
6. Edmonds-Woodway (15-1)
7. Chiawana (16-1)
8. Jackson (13-3)
9. Kentwood (14-4)
10. Wenatchee (11-4)
Others receiving votes: South Kitsap (13-5), Richland (13-4), Mount Tahoma (16-3), Marysville-Pilchuck (13-4), Bethel (14-4)

Class 3A boys
1. Enumclaw (16-0)
2. Bellevue (16-1)
3. Rainier Beach (13-3)
4. Seattle Prep (14-3)
5. Lakes (14-2)
6. Mount Si (12-4)
7. Capital (14-1)
8. Shadle Park (12-4)
9. Meadowdale (13-3)
10. O’Dea (12-5)
Others receiving votes: Bremerton (10-4), Mount Rainier (11-5), Franklin Pierce (10-5)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (15-2)
2. Kennedy Catholic (14-3)
3. White River (15-2)
4. Mercer Island (13-3)
5. Bonney Lake (13-4)
6. Port Angeles (13-2)
7. Mount Rainier (14-2)
8. Yelm (12-4)
9. Sumner (11-5)
10. Lakeside (11-6)
Others receiving votes: Central Valley (12-4), Shorecrest (11-5), Prarie (13-3), West Valley (11-4)

Week 8 basketball poll

Megan Managan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:54:27 +0000

Here’s the latest basketball poll as voted on by sports writers in the Reporter Newspaper group.

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (13-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (13-1)
3. Curtis (15-1)
4. Jackson (13-1)
5. Walla Walla (13-2)
6. Richland (13-2)
7. Skyline (12-2)
8. Kamiakin (12-3)
9. Lake Stevens (11-4)
10. Decatur (11-5)
Others receiving votes: Kentridge (11-5), Garfield (10-4), Foss (11-4), Lake Washington (11-3)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (16-0)
2. Issaquah (13-1)
3. Newport (13-1)
4. Woodinville (13-1)
5. Edmonds-Woodway (13-1)
6. Federal Way (12-3)
7. Chiawana (12-1)
8. Jackson (12-2)
9. Marysville-Pilchuck (12-3)
10. Kentwood (11-4)
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine Prep (11-5), Mount Tahoma (13-3), Lewis and Clark (9-5)

Class 3A boys
1. Enumclaw (14-0)
2. Bellevue (14-1)
3. Rainier Beach (12-3)
4. Seattle Prep (12-3)
5. Lakes (10-4)
6. O’Dea (11-4)
7. Mount Si (11-4)
8. Shadle Park (10-3)
9. Capital (12-1)
10. Foster (11-3)
Others receiving votes: Sammamish (11-4), Meadowdale (11-3), Franklin (7-7), Kennedy Catholic (10-5)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (13-2)
2. Kennedy Catholic (12-3)
3. White River (12-2)
4. Mercer Island (11-3)
5. Lakes (10-4)
6. Mount Rainier (12-2)
7. Bonney Lake (11-4)
8. Yelm (11-4)
9. Port Angeles (12-2)
10. Sumner (10-4)
Others receiving votes: Shorecrest (9-4), Seattle Prep (10-4), Juanita (10-5), Shadle Park (8-5), Lakeside (9-6)

Friday’s MIHS gym dedication details

Megan Managan — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:26:23 +0000

This was just passed along to me from MIHS Athletic coordinator Ann Meisner about Friday’s dedication of the MI gym to former boys head coach Ed Pepple. On the night the Islanders host league rival Bellevue the community is going to get a chance to say thanks for Pepple’s many years of service.

The school is expecting the gym to be standing room only for the event, which will take place between the girls and boys varsity games Friday night. The girls tip off at 6:30 p.m. and sometime likely between 7:50 and 8:15 p.m. the ceremony will start, which Meisner said they expect to last 15 to 20 minutes.

The presentation is going to include Pete Nordstrom, of the Mercer Island basketball alumni group, Gary Plano, MISD’s superintendent, Janet Frohnmayer, MISD board member, Craig Olson, MIHS athletic director and Pepple. During the ceremony the gym will be dedicated and a plaque will be present to Pepple.

Following the ceremony the varsity boys teams will have 15 minutes of warm up in the main gym and approximately between 8:25 and 8:45 p.m. the boys game will start.

Because the school is expecting so many people there will be two ticket selling stations for the evening and those who plan to attend either the games or the ceremony are encouraged to arrive early and plan for a crowd. There is no pre-sale of tickets for the evening. Parking is available at any of the high school lots, as well as parking in the neighborhood around the high school.

Meisner also said the concession stand (featuring pizza, soda, water and snacks) will open at 5:30 p.m., but that only water is allowed in the gym, so tables and chairs will be available in the commons for people to eat.

Should make for not only a good night of basketball, but a great chance to see the school and community thank Pepple for all his work.

Week 5 Reporter basketball poll

Megan Managan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:49:30 +0000

After what feels like much more than a week off here’s our latest basketball poll. The 4A boys stayed pretty much the same, with the exception of Lake Washington jumping from the ‘other’ category to No. 5 with a 7-1 record. In 4A girls Newport jumped up to No. 2, staying undefeated after defeating Mercer Island last week in a non-conference match up. Lewis and Clark fell from No. 2 all the way down to No. 6 after two straight losses during the break. The boys of Rainier Beach in the 3A poll fell from No. 1 to No. 3 after going 1-3 over the break (which coincidentally is the same record the MIHS boys had over the holidays – except they haven’t made the poll yet). So undefeated Enumclaw and Bellevue take the top two spots. The Mercer Island girls stayed in the No. 6 spot for the 3A girls, White River and Kennedy Catholic swapped the No. 2 and 3 positions, while Holy Names stayed firmly in the top place.

This Friday the Islanders will be taking on Bellevue, both girls and boys teams. It will be a good chance to check out the Wolverines undefeated boys team and to see Aaron Bright in action, and another conference test for the girls. Tip off is 6:30 p.m.

Week Five Basketball Poll

The Reporter Newspapers Basketball Poll is voted on by members of various Reporter Newspapers across the state.
Class 4A
1. Federal Way (7-0)
2. Jackson (7-0)
3. Curtis (10-0)
4. Gonzaga Prep (7-1)
5. Lake Washington (7-1)
6. Decatur (7-2)
7. Foss (7-2)
8. Kamiakin (8-0)
9. Richland (7-0)
10. Walla Walla (6-2)
Others who receiving votes: Lake Stevens (6-3), Kentridge (7-3), Skyline (6-1), Davis (6-1)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (9-0)
2. Newport (8-0)
3. Woodinville (8-0)
4. Issaquah (7-1)
5. Kentwood (6-2)
6. Lewis and Clark (5-3)
7. Federal Way (6-2)
8. Kentlake (8-0)
9. Edmonds-Woodway (6-1)
10. Monroe (8-1)
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine Prep (5-3), Jackson (6-1), Garfield (4-3)

Class 3A boys
1. Enumclaw (7-0)
2. Bellevue (10-0)
3. Rainier Beach (5-3)
4. Mount Si (7-2)
5. Lakes (6-1)
6. Shadle Park (7-2)
7. Seattle Prep (6-3)
8. O’Dea (7-2)
9. Bainbridge (6-2)
10. Union (5-3)
Others receiving votes: Capital (6-1), Foster (6-2), Shorecrest (5-2), Cascade (6-2), Hudson’s Bay (6-1), Hazen (7-2)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (8-2)
2. White River (7-1)
3. Kennedy Catholic (6-2)
4. Lakes (6-2)
5. Bonney Lake (7-2)
6. Mercer Island (7-3)
7. Shadle Park (6-3)
8. Prarie (7-3)
9. Mount Rainier (7-1)
10. Cleveland (4-2)
Others receiving votes: Ferndale (4-2), Meadowdale (5-2), Mount Tahoma (8-2), Yelm (8-1)

No basketball poll this week

Megan Managan — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:37:03 +0000

The Reporter sports writers are taking a break from the basketball poll this week, not many new wins or losses in the last week to make any difference to our teams. Next week we’ll be back in full swing.

A big game to note however is tomorrow night the Mercer Island girls will take on Newport (who is currntly undefeated) at Newport (a change from the original schedule) starting at 7:30 p.m. While the team’s are not in the same classification anymore it used to be a big rivarly and still is a game both sides look forward to each year. I’ll be updating live from the event with scores etc. at MIRsports from Twitter if you want to follow along!

So tune in next week to see where the MI girls and boys fit into the state’s top 10 4A/3A girls and boys teams.

Week 3 Reporter basketball poll

Megan Managan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:32:26 +0000

The latest poll is out, with a few changes, as most high school teams take a break for the holidays this week and next. There are still quite a few undefeated teams, except in the girls 3A poll, where none of the ranked teams are undefeated.

The MIHS girls bumped back up to 6th this week, after playing down in Arizona at the Nike Tournament of Champions over the weekend. Next week the girls return for their first game back in Washington, taking on undefeated Newport, in a game that will surely test both sides.

The Islander boys team made the other category this week. They whopped on Interlake last week, beating the Saints by 20 points, but had trouble against a strong O’Dea squad the weekend before. Their first home game back from the break will be Bellevue on Jan. 8

In the 4A boys poll Kentwood dropped from the poll completely, after the team continues to play without Josh Smith.

The Reporter Newspapers Basketball Poll is voted on by members of various Reporter Newspapers across the state.

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (7-0)
2. Jackson (6-0)
3. Gonzaga Prep (5-0)
4. Curtis (7-0)
5. Decatur (6-1)
6. Walla Walla (4-1)
7. Lake Stevens (6-0)
8. Foss (5-1)
9. Mead (5-1)
10. Davis (6-0)
Others receiving votes: Lake Washington (6-1), Kentridge (3-1), Richland (6-0)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (7-0)
2. Lewis and Clark (5-1)
3. Newport (7-0)
4. Issaquah (6-0)
5. Kentwood (6-1)
6. Woodinville (5-0)
7. Kentlake (7-0)
8. Edmonds-Woodway (5-1)
9. Bellarmine Prep (4-1)
10. Federal Way (5-2)
Others receiving votes: Jackson (5-1), South Kitsap (7-0), Monroe (6-1)

Class 3A boys
1. Rainier Beach (4-0)
2. Enumclaw (4-0)
3. Seattle Prep (6-1)
4. Bellevue (7-0)
5. Franklin (3-1)
6. Shorecrest (5-1)
7. O’Dea (5-2)
8. Lakes (5-1)
9. Mount Si (4-1)
10. Chief Sealth (2-1)
Others receiving votes; Shadle Park (5-1), Union (4-2), Mercer Island (3-2), Bainbridge (5-1), Lakeside (2-4), Evergreen (4-1)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (7-1)
2. Kennedy Catholic (4-1)
3. White River (5-1)
4. Bonney Lake (6-1)
5. Lakes (6-1)
6. Mercer Island (4-1)
7. Prarie (6-2)
8. Lakeside (5-2)
9. Cleveland (4-2)
10. Shadle Park (4-2)
Others receiving votes: Bellevue (3-4), Mount Rainier (6-0), Chiawana (4-0), Ferndale (2-1), Meadowdale (4-2), Cleveland (4-2)

MI basketball update with Gavin Cree

Megan Managan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:19:22 +0000

This is a little delayed, but between weird schedules, deadlines and the upcoming holidays (which always seem to send things into chaos) I guess better late than never!

Here are Gavin Cree’s thoughts on the last week of games, including the win over Juanita last Friday and the team’s loss to top ranked O’Dea at Bellevue College.

“I thought we got better this weekend. We defended very well in both contests. Against Juanita, I think our size was a little overwhelming for them to handle. With our length, we are able to contest shots really well – it is hard to shoot over us. We outrebounded them 42-16, which is the way it should be. We’ve still got to take better care of the basketball on the offensive end.”

He said O’Dea was a nice test for the Islanders. O’Dea is currently ranked 6th in the Reporter sportswriter’s basketball poll.

“O’Dea was a nice test for us. If we connect at the free throw line and block out down the stretch I think we win that game. O’Dea is one of the more athletic teams in our district, and we know that we can play with them. Despite the loss, I think our team gained a great deal of confidence from that game. Any time you hold your opponent to 43 points you expect to win the game. Right now our defense is ahead of our offense which isn’t unusual early in the year. We’ve got to develop a chemistry offensively which will come with time. There are a lot of guys out there without much experience, so we will keep getting better.”

The Islanders are 2-2 so far this season and will play Interlake tomorrow night (Friday, Dec. 18) with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Basketball Week 1 poll

Megan Managan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:11:16 +0000

You might have noticed a story on our Web site yesterday afternoon detailing the first 4A/3A basketball poll done by the Reporter sportswriters. A group of us from around the Reporter newspapers network vote each week on our top 10 picks for the boys and girls teams throughout the state in each classification.

I’ve posted on our site the list for the first week of games. It will be updated each week, probably Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Joel Willits, my counter-part at the Bellevue Reporter posted his thoughts on his blog From the Sidelines.

The Mercer Island girls are currently ranked 6th, the Bellevue boys team was ranked 6th as well. Keep checking back to see how the local teams are doing. Both the Mercer Island boys and girls will be playing at Juanita tomorrow night – the boys start at 6 p.m. and the girls tip off at 7:30 p.m. (note – the times are different than typical regular season games).

Thoughts or comments on the teams listed/voted in this week? Let me know!

MI basketball notes v. Issaquah

Megan Managan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:45:03 +0000

Here’s some notes on last night’s losses for Mercer Island against 4A Issaquah:

Girls basketball – assistant coach Beth Christofferson

On game standouts: Sarah Taylor is a fighter. She walked away with a mild concussion after an elbow to the head. She’s a battler.

Christofferson said Taylor’s concussion is very mild and she will likely only miss two or three days as a result.

Kate DaPron did not play last night and as a result the girls had some rebounding trouble, but Christofferson said they will be working on it and did come out stronger in the second half of the game.

Boys basketball – head coach Gavin Cree

On the team’s first official game with the 35 second shot clock. The Islanders never ran out of time, but Issaquah did at one point in the game.

We’ve spent a little bit of time with it, but not too much. To be honest, 35 seconds is a long time. We’ve played with it on trips to California many times. The shot clock has it’s biggest impact at the end of the game. In the past, teams have stalled when they have a lead. Now, coaches and players have to take the shot clock into consideration. We’ve talked most about using our defense to run down the clock for the opposing team.

On nerves: I really didn’t feel any nerves. I felt some adrenaline with the band and the fans there. We have such a great high school basketball atmosphere at Mercer Island. We remind our players to be thankful for that. As a player I think you are always anxious to tip-off and get started. I think our guys were a little tight, but I don’t think it was a big factor. As I’ve said before, it’s a long season. One of our focuses this year is moving to the “next play.” We’ve got to learn from this one and flush it away. I think we understand what we need to work on in order to be at our best later in the year.

See next week’s print edition for a full review of the game against Issaquah.

Sheryl Swoopes joins MIHS girls basketball coaching roster

Megan Managan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:52:03 +0000

Sheryl Swoopes, a player for the Seattle Storm WNBA team, will be assisting with coaching duties during the current 2009-2010 Mercer Island High School girls basketball season.
Swoopes, who attended Texas Tech, has played basketball professionally for 11 years, joining the Storm in 2008 as a guard. She won an NCAA woman’s basketball championship in 1993 with the Texas Tech Lady Raiders, and has three Olympic gold medals in basketball from the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.
She joined the WNBA in it’s first season, playing with the Houston Comets, and remained with the Comets until 2007. She has been apart of four WNBA champion teams and earned the WNBA MVP award three times in her career.
This season at Mercer Island Swoopes will be taking on some of the sideline coaching duties during the Islanders games while MIHS girls head coach Jamie Prescott is on maternity leave.
Assistant coach Beth Christofferson said Monday afternoon prior to practice that Swoopes has been great, really helping the girls and that she just wants to make the team better.
See this week’s issue of the Reporter for the MIHS winter sports previews and watch for continued coverage of the girls basketball team, as well as all other sports on Mercer Island!