Gar-Pal girls cruise to 1B state title game
Vikings will play Neah Bay at 3 p.m. today in Spokane
The Washington 1B state girls basketball tournament in Spokane is unlike any sports experience Garfield-Palouse sophomore Kyra Brantner has ever had.
And she loves it.
“Everybody’s there, everybody’s cheering you on,” Brantner said. “The nerves, though, they can get to you. But once you settle in, tune out the crowd, it’s really just you and your teammates.”
Brantner and her fellow Garfield-Palouse Vikings successfully dialed in on the biggest stage of their high school careers to beat Waterville-Mansfield 60-32 in the state semifinals on Friday at Spokane Arena.
Brantner led Gar-Pal (24-2) with 19 points and seven rebounds and freshman Molly Huffman added 15 points.
Delainey Nelson paced Waterville-Mansfield (23-5) with 14 points and Hanna Nelson tallied nine points.
Brantner catches fire
Brantner recognized that she and her teammates were nervous at the start of the semifinal.
“When we got our first basket,” Brantner said. “We were like, ‘We need to settle in. This is our game, and we need to get this one.’”
Huffman provided the Vikings’ first basket which got them settled in. Gar-Pal’s freshman post drained 7-of-9 shots from the floor.
The Vikings’ defense and 44-25 rebounding advantage boosted Gar-Pal’s offensive effort.
Brantner and Ellie Collier corralled seven boards each and dished out an identical three assists each. Both marks led the team.
With the ball in her hands so much, Brantner opted to pass to her open teammates.
Brantner said she was only tired once, when she went coast-to-coast for the score to extend Gar-Pal’s lead to 26-11 midway through the second quarter.
Gar-Pal coach Garrett Parrish said that Brantner has had a phenomenal state tournament.
“Her athleticism is off the charts,” Parrish said. “We get on these little longer courts, and she gets another step or two and she can blow by people.
“She’s just a super competitive kid and it’s awesome seeing her rise up in these moments.”
Vikings’ defense clamps down
The root of the Vikings’ stellar defense?
Brantner said it’s junior Morgan Lentz.
“She played really good defense in front of the players,” Brantner said. “And whenever someone gets beaten, she’s always there to help us.”
Lentz’s primary defensive assignment was the Shockers’ sophomore scoring threat Delainey Nelson and the junior guard held her to 5-of-19 shooting.
The Vikings used their size to their advantage, winning the rebound battle with all five players involved.
“Our bigs rebounded like they always do but our guards decided to stick their nose in there, and that kind of gave us the advantage,” Parrish said.
After a 13-9 first quarter, Gar-Pal exploded for 21 points in the second and then outscored Waterville-Mansfield 26-13 in the second half to win by 28.
State championship on deck
The Vikings’ win leads them to the 1B state championship versus top-seeded Neah Bay at 3 p.m. today at Spokane Arena.
Parrish said that while Neah Bay is a frequent State contender, the Vikings have earned their chance at the title.
“Our girls are our gamers. They love playing. It’s gonna be a great game,” Parrish said. “We’re just gonna get up, get on the bus ride, blast the music, like we usually do, and roll into the arena and hopefully be ready to go.”
This group of Vikings have played with each other for about a decade. It’s that friendship which Brantner said would make a state championship particularly special.
“I love all these girls so much,” Brantner said. “I know they love me and being able to win it with that group of girls would honestly be one of the best memories that I’ll have.”
GARFIELD-PALOUSE (24-2)
Reisse Johnson 1 0-0 2, Kaydence Kivi 1 0-0 2, Maggie Bakeman 0 0-0 0, Elena Flansburg 4 2-4 11, Kyra Brantner 6 6-6 19, Ellie Collier 2 0-0 5, Morgan Lentz 2 0-0 5, HettyLee Laughary 0 0-0 0, Taia Gehring 0 1-2 1, Molly Huffman 7 1-2 15, Camryn Blankenchip 0 0-0 0, Kinsley Kelnhofer 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 10-15 60.
WATERVILLE-MANSFIELD (23-5)
Isla Jones 0 0-0 0, Madis Schmidt 0 1-2 1, Hanna Nelson 4 0-0 9, Delainey Nelson 5 1-2 14, Anna Stepanov 0 0-0 0, Holly Finkbeiner 0 0-0 0, Millie Brown 1 0-0 2, Ellie O’Brian 0-0 2, Brooke Kopta 1 0-0 2, Lexi Palmquist 1 0-0 2, Zimm Murphy, Kynlee Daling 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 2-7 32.
Garfield-Palouse 13 21 12 14—60
Waterville-Mansfield 9 10 7 6—32
3-point goals — Flansburg, Brantner, Collier , Lentz, D. Nelson 3, H. Nelson.
Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @Sam_C_Taylor.
