Hounds look to finish 1 final goal

The Pullman Greyhounds boys basketball team will play in the quarterfinal round of the Washington Class 2A boys basketball state tournament Thursday at the Yakima Valley SunDome in Yakima.

The first game will be the final push toward one last goal for Pullman — make it back to the state title game. As a program, the Greyhounds always have the goal of making it to the state tournament. Now that they’re there, the last goal of a state title is within reach.

Despite being close last season, making it to the state championship game but falling to Lynden, the players and coach Craig Brantner have emphasized that this season is a new goal and a new opportunity.

“We don’t talk about (last year’s championship) like that very much,” Brantner said. “I can tell you, coming in second is not fun. It’s almost easier to finish third, because then you end the season (with) a win and everyone’s happy. But when you finish second, you kind of feel like you didn’t get the job done and you didn’t achieve the goal. It’s hard to finish second for sure.

“But we don’t sit there and talk about it a lot ... is there unfinished business? I don’t know. But I think this is a different team and a different season. Our goal is to get as far as we possibly can and play for a state championship, and we can do it.”

One thing that sets this Pullman team apart from the 2021-22 group is the number of losses this season’s team has, or lack thereof.

There are no blemishes so far for the Greyhounds, who currently stand at 24-0 and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state media poll. According to Brantner, the team never has let the run at perfect take precedence above their aforementioned goals.

“We never talked too far down the road, ever,” Brantner said. “At the start of the season we set some goals about making the state tournament and getting as far as we can, playing for a state championship — if we could and try and reach that goal. But as the season progresses, we really don’t ever go past the next game. That’s all we talk about until that game is over. As coaches, as kids, we’re not really talking about Friday’s game before we play Thursday’s.”

The immediate game in front of the Greyhounds will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday against either Anacortes or Emumclaw.

Pullman will depend on some of the players who have taken jumps in their play or shifts in their roles this season to help bring the team within reach of the title, namely players such as Jaedyn Brown, who had 32 points in Saturday’s 67-55 first-round win against R.A. Long, and Dane Sykes, who had 12 points against the Lumberjacks.

Kowatsch can be reached at tkowatsch@lmtribune.com, (208) 848-2260 or on Twitter @tkseahawk13.

Class 2A boys state tournament schedule

All games at Yakima Valley Sun Dome

Today’s Games

Game 9: Tumwater vs.Renton, 9 a.m.

Game 10: Enumclaw vs. Anacortes, 10:25 a.m.

Game 11: North Kitsap vs. Sehome, 12:15 p.m.

Game 12: Spokane West Valley vs. R.A. Long, 2 p.m.

Thursday’s Games

Game 13: Tumwater-Renton winner vs. Mark Morris, 9 a.m.

Game 14: Enumclaw-Anacortes winner vs. Pullman, 10:30 a.m.

Game 15: North Kitsap-Sehome winner vs. Lynden, 12:15 p.m.

Game 16: West Valley-R.A. Long winner vs. Prosser, 2 p.m.

Friday’s Games

Game 17: Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 loser, 9 a.m.

Game 18: Game 15 loser vs. Game 16 loser, 10:30 a.m.

Game 19: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 3:45 p.m.

Game 20: Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Fourth-place game

Game 21: Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner, 8 a.m.

Third-place game

Game 22: Game 19 loser vs. Game 20 loser, 11:15 a.m.

Championship

Game 23: Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner, 9 p.m.