2A, 1A, 2B, 1B state regionals: Breakdowns and predictions for South Sound basketball teams

No. 6 Selah (20-3) vs. Tumwater (16-6)

8 p.m. Friday at Mount Tahoma High School

About the Vikings: “Controlled chaos.” That is how coach Tim Garza describes his team’s frantic style of play. The Vikings will look to deploy a half-court trapping defense and a talented duo of underclassmen at guard — freshman point guard Elijah Pepper and sophomore shooting guard Zakery Donato. Pepper (20 ppg) and Donato (15) score a combined 35 points per game.

About the Thunderbirds: The T-Birds were able to capture their second consecutive district title last week, but they will look to fare better in the regional round this time around — they lost to Fife, 70-69, in this round last year. Weston VandenHazel has been Tumwater’s go-to player ever since point guard Ty Gentry was dismissed for a violation of team rules.

TNT pick: Selah, 78-69.

No. 5 Squalicum (19-4) vs. No. 2 River Ridge (21-2)

8 p.m. Friday at Puyallup

About the Storm: Look for the Storm to get out in transition and push the pace, as they prefer an up-tempo game. Washington State football commit Josiah Westbrook (17 ppg), Damek Mitchell (15) and Darious Powell (14) set the pace on offense. The Storm fell to the Hawks last season, 72-50, in the third-place game at the state tournament.

About the Hawks: Senior guard Jaden White leads the team in scoring with 14 points per game, this is far from a one-man show. River Ridge’s entire starting lineup averages double figures in point, and their superb ball movement, led by 2A SPSL MVP point guard Kobe Key, has been the catalyst for their success this season.

TNT pick: River Ridge, 68-67.

Steilacoom (16-8) vs. Shorecrest (15-8)

4 p.m. Saturday at Mountlake Terrace

About the Sentinels: Junior forward La’jon Enis-Carter is the Sentinels’ only player averaging double digits in points this year, scoring 13.8 per contest. Coach Gary Wusterbarth characterizes Enis-Carter as a “blue-collar worker,” as he does a lot of his work on the glass and has posted 11 double-doubles this season.

About the Scots: Shorecrest boasts three players 6-foot-6 or taller, making the Scots one of the tallest teams in the regional tournament. Sophomore center Philip Pepple leads the Scots’ front court in scoring at 13 points per game. Look for the Scots to make good use of their size advantage Saturday. They also have a nice balance, as point guard and leading scorer Malcolm Rosier-Butler (17) and shooting guard Toybn Lawson (13) average a combined 30 points per contest.

TNT pick: Shorecrest, 67-59.

No. 5 Vashon Island (17-5) vs. No. 3 King’s (20-3)

Noon Saturday at Mountlake Terrace

About the Pirates: Making their first trip to the state playoffs since 2011, the Pirates took third in the 1A West Central District tournament following an overtime loss to Seattle Christian. It’s a balanced group led by 6-4 forward Sam Yates, who averages 14.8 points per game, but there are plenty of shooters around him.

About the Knights: There are not many forwards in the state better than Corey Kispert, a junior, who is athletic but can step outside and shoot, too. He already has scholarship offers from Gonzaga and some Pac-12 schools. The Knights have reached the state title game each of the past three years and won it all a year ago. (Vashon placed fifth.)

TNT pick: King’s, 75-59.

Cascade Christian (11-9) vs. No. 4 King’s Way Christian (17-2)

2 p.m. Saturday at Battle Ground

About the Cougars: Jesse Howells, a 6-foot guard, averaged 13.1 points in 16 regular-season games and scored 14 against Chimacum in a win last week. The Cougars went nearly three weeks without winning a game, but each game was against bigger nonleague foes — all to prepare them for a state run.

About the Knights: The Knights took fourth in the state last year and fifth the year before. Kienan Walter, a 6-8 senior and University of North Dakota signee, leads King’s Way in scoring at 22.2 points per game. His height in the low block could be the difference against a Cascade Chrsitian squad whose tallest player is 6-4.

TNT pick: King’s Way Christian, 58-53.

Napavine (17-8) vs. No. 3 Life Christian (23-2)

10 a.m. Saturday at Mount Tahoma

About the Tigers: The last time the Tigers were in in the state playoffs, they lost to Northwest Christian of Colbert in the state title game, 41-32, in 2011. This is Wyatt Stanley’s second state tournament appearance in three months after he quarterbacked the football team to the 2B title game. Stanley is averaging 17.8 points and 13.9 rebounds.

About the Eagles: The father-son duo is at it again. Mark and Luke Lovelady have combined to make the Eagles a powerhouse in the 2B Pacific. Luke, a 6-7 junior, was named league MVP for the second consecutive season and averaged a double-double (22.3 points, 14.5 rebounds.) Life Christian beat Napavine, 60-52, on Feb. 13.

TNT pick: Life Christian, 67-55.

Evergreen Lutheran (19-5) vs. Taholah (14-9)

8 p.m. Saturday at W.F. West, Chehalis

About the Eagles: Saturday’s game will fall one day short of the 14-year anniversary of the Eagles’ last playoff win. Evergreen Lutheran made its first trip to the playoffs since 2007 in 2013 — but lost both games. Jeffrey Parker has scored more than 1,000 points in his career for the Eagles and scored 50 in a win over Charles Wright.

About the Chitwhins: Taholah has not been to the playoffs since 2013. The Chitwhins have a single senior, five juniors, three sophomores and a freshman. The tallest Chitwhin stands 6-1. Taholah won the district title last week by defeating Columbia Adventist, 68-33, and ended the regular season 10-0 in league play.

TNT pick: Evergreen Lutheran, 70-65.

10 a.m. Saturday at W.F. West, Chehalis

About the Bantams: Jaclyn Meyers is a leader in a lot of ways for the Bantams. She tops her team in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (6.2), she boasts a 4.0 GPA, and she is the on-court leader of the team. Look for Clarkston to play disciplined basketball on both ends of the floor.

About the Wolves: Emma Duff, a 6-foot junior, might be one of the toughest players in the state for opposing coaches to plan against. The 2A Evergreen Conference MVP is leading her team in scoring (18.8) and can play all five positions on the floor. This the first time the Black Hills has been a No. 1 seed heading into regionals. The Wolves will look to fare better than they have in recent seasons, having lost in the regional round in the past two years.

TNT pick: Black Hills, 57-53.

River Ridge (15-9) vs. No. 4 Ellensburg (20-2)

6 p.m. Saturday at Eisenhower, Yakima

About the Hawks: Senior guard and Saint Martin’s commit Makenna Schultz’s team-high 19.6 points per game powers the Hawks, and they will need a big game from her. The Hawks have a young roster (five sophomores on the roster), and quite a few of their contributors were playing junior varsity basketball just a year ago, so this game will be a big test for coach Steve Schultz’s team.

About the Bulldogs: Look for the Bulldogs to play disciplined basketball on both sides of the court and limit turnovers. Lexie Bland and Kassidy Malcolm are the leaders for the Bulldogs and will be the two players River Ridge will need to key on defensively.

TNT pick: Ellensburg, 62-58.

Washougal (19-5) vs. No. 5 White River (21-3)

2 p.m. Saturday at Puyallup

About the Panthers: The Panthers are in play for their first playoff run since 1983. They are led by 5-6 senior guard Alyssa Blankenship, who is averaging 16.3 points per game, and Beyonce Bea, a freshman wing who averages 15.1.

About the Hornets: White River is led by Kendall Bird, the 2A SPSL co-MVP, who is the only Hornet who averages double digits in points. The 6-2 left-handed junior forward averages 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists — and she’ll sometimes play point guard, too. White River has won 15 consecutive games.

TNT pick: White River, 64-57.

Shorecrest (14-10) vs. Franklin Pierce (18-6)

4 p.m. Saturday at Puyallup

About the Scots: Wurrie Njadoe scored 16 points to lead the Scots to a 59-46 win against Lakewood in 2A district play Friday. Julia Strand added 11 points. The Scots have won their past two games after losing 52-45 to Lynden on Feb. 15.

About the Cardinals: Puyallup transfer Alexius Foster is looking to capitalize on an already great season in which she earned first-team 2A SPSL honors. Foster averaged 19.5 points for the Cardinals during the regular season, but she’ll have to help the Cardinals rebound from a loss to White river in the district title game.

TNT pick: Franklin Pierce, 47-45.

Charles Wright (15-6) vs. No. 1 Lynden Christian (21-2)

8 p.m. Saturday at Mount Vernon

About the Tarriers: It’s been a tag-team effort for the Tarriers behind Shoni Pritchett and Majestic Moler since the postseason began, and now Charles Wright is in the state tournament for the first time since 2005. Pritchett leads the team at 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Moler averages 13.3 points and 4.2 steals.

About the Lyncs: They have won seven games in a row behind Kara Bajema, who is averaging 14.6 points. Sam Van Loo is at 11.6 points per game. This is a team that knows how to win — it has reached the state tournament for 11 consecutive years.

TNT pick: Lynden Christian, 55-38.

Selkirk (16-7) vs. No. 5 Evergreen Lutheran (17-2)

2 p.m. Saturday at Mount Tahoma

About the Rangers: In their first state playoff appearance since 2011, the Rangers have a tough task against the fifth-ranked Eagles. Hannah Rick, a senior guard, is averaging 13 points for the Rangers.

About the Eagles: Averaging 20.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, 5-10 senior Emily Holder is looking to lead the Hawks deep into the playoffs. Katelyn Schwartz, who averages 15.8 points and 9.2 rebounds, led the Eagles with 14 points on Saturday in their 52-49 win against Neah Bay.

TNT pick: Evergreen Lutheran, 60-45.

Mount Rainier Lutheran (15-8) vs. No. 4 Republic (22-1)

4 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane

About the Hawks: The Hawks have dropped two consecutive games, losing against Evergreen Lutheran and Seattle Lutheran. The Hawks have only two seniors on their roster — Taylor Hoffman and Liz Foxley — so they are hoping that their inexperience does not hinder their chances in their second state appearance since 2013 and punching their ticket to Spokane Arena.

About the Tigers: Junior Shania Graham is averaging 16 points per game this season. The Tigers are in the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and are on an eight-game winning streak. Demi Jo Vaughn is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 points.

TNT pick: Republic, 70-51.

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 11:02 PM with the headline "2A, 1A, 2B, 1B state regionals: Breakdowns and predictions for South Sound basketball teams."