Tri-City area teams battling for WA state regional basketball playoff spots

Local high school basketball teams spent last week in district playoff action.

But the real big week starts Monday of this week, and everything will wrap up on Saturday, Feb. 19.

That’s when we find out which teams qualify for state regional playoff games.

So, while the Richland boys opened 4A district play with a 70-47 win over Lewis & Clark last Saturday, the top Mid-Columbia Conference seeds — Kamiakin’s boys and Pasco’s girls — get going Tuesday.

Other games and teams to keep an eye on will include Prosser’s boys, who upset Ellensburg 68-66 on Saturday; another rematch between two of the state’s top 2A girls teams, Prosser and Ellensburg; Columbia-Burbank’s boys, who’ve already qualified for the 2B state regionals; as well as Warden’s girls, who have done the same in 2B state regionals.

Here is a quick synopsis for each level of play for both boys and girls hoops:

4A BOYS

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Kamiakin will play host to Central Valley, which held off Chiawana 60-56 last Saturday.

Meanwhile, six players scored in double figures for the Bombers in that win over LC on Saturday night.

Now Richland heads to Spokane at 7 p.m. Tuesday to play Gonzaga Prep.

Winners in both Tuesday games earn two of the three state regional berths.

Chiawana, meanwhile, awaits the Richland-GP loser for a loser-out game on Thursday (time and place to be determined).

All contests move to the Spokane Arena on Friday and Saturday.

4A GIRLS

Last week was a good one for area 4A girls teams.

Kamiakin, which has gotten hot the past month, beat Central Valley in a play-in game.The Braves, however, lost 64-45 to Chiawana on Saturday night. The Riverhawks were led by freshman Malia Ruud’s 30 points.

So Chiawana plays at Gonzaga Prep at 5 p.m. Tuesday in one winners’ bracket semifinal.

Kamiakin is still alive in the losers bracket.

Richland — which destroyed Lewis & Clark 64-29 on the road Saturday in Spokane — gets a reward of playing at top seed Pasco at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the other semifinal.

Like the boys, everything moves to the Spokane Arena on Friday and Saturday. The top three teams advance to regionals.

3A BOYS

Head coach Bradyn Leyde’s Kennewick Lions won their 3A District 8 opener on Saturday at home, beating University handily, 78-59.

So now, Kennewick plays host to Mead at 6 p.m. Tuesday, in one of two winner’s bracket semifinals.

Walla Walla and Hermiston, the other two MCC teams involved in the tournament, play loser-out games on Tuesday against Greater Spokane League schools.

Everything will move to the Spokane Arena on Friday and Saturday, and the top three teams earn state regional opportunities.

3A GIRLS

The power in the MCC girls basketball regular-season race this season came from the 4A schools: Pasco, Chiawana and Richland. That’s no secret.

But middle-of-the-packers Hermiston and Kennewick opened District 8 play last weekend with victories. Hermiston beat visiting University 63-53 on Friday, while Kennewick topped visiting Mt. Spokane 69-48 on Saturday.

Now in Tuesday’s winner bracket semifinals, Hermiston hosts Ferris at 5 p.m., while Kennewick visits Mead at 6 p.m.

Oh yes, Southridge is also alive. The Suns beat Walla Walla on Thursday in a play-in game, then took their lumps in a loss to Ferris on Saturday.

They now play host to University at 6 p.m. Tuesday in a loser-out game.

Top three teams in the tourney advance to the state regional stage. And again, the tournament moves to the Spokane Arena on Friday and Saturday.

2A BOYS

Prosser’s win at Ellensburg this past Saturday was an upset. The Mustangs entered the Central Washington Athletic Conference district tournament as a 3-seed, while host Ellensburg was a 2-seed.

So now Prosser visits top-seed Grandview — also a 68-66 winner Saturday over 4-seed East Valley — in the winner’s bracket title game, set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Grandview.

Winner earns a state regional berth, while the loser will have to bounce back in the loser’s bracket for the CWAC’s second state regional berth.

2A GIRLS

Only thing you need to know is that Prosser and Ellensburg won their opening district games with ease.

Now the Mustangs (16-5) must travel to Ellensburg (21-0) for the district title at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Winner gets an automatic berth to the 2A girls state regional playoffs, while the loser must recover and win the second berth in the loser’s bracket.

1A BOYS

The power in the South Central Athletic Conference comes from the West, where Yakima Valley rivals Toppenish and Zillah are the only two unbeaten teams left in tournament play.

Both squads have split their first two games this season.

They’ll meet Saturday for the district title game, and both have already qualified for state regionals.

Meanwhile, Connell, Royal and Wahluke are still alive for two more state regional berths. They all have loser-out games Thursday, then move to Saturday’s final day of district play.

1A GIRLS

Again, the West has the power. Wapato meets Zillah on Saturday to determine 1 and 2 to state regionals.

On Thursday in loser-out contests, College Place visits Connell, and Royal is at Toppenish. Winners advance to play each other Saturday for the one remaining regional berth.

2B BOYS

I watched Todd Schumacher’s Columbia-Burbank boys dismantle visiting Mabton 91-46 on Friday. The Coyotes shot the ball well, played smothering defense, and made the great extra pass to clinch a state regional berth.

They’ll play Cle Elum (who also clinched a state regional berth) for the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference district title at 7:30 p.m. this coming Saturday at River View High School in Finley.

Meanwhile, Mabton, River View and Tri-Cities Prep are still in the hunt for the two remaining regional berths.

2B GIRLS

Warden ran past Tri-Cities Prep 66-26 last week in one winners’ bracket semifinal, while Mabton stopped Columbia-Burbank 60-49 in the other.

So Mabton and Warden will meet at 5 p.m. Saturday at River View High School for the girls title game

Meanwhile, on Tuesday at 6 p.m., Columbia-Burbank visits White Swan, and Tri-Cities Prep is at Granger in loser-out games.

The winners, though, earn state regional berths.

1B BOYS

DeSales and Sunnyside Christian are the only unbeaten teams left in the district 1B tourney.

They’ll meet at 6:45 p.m. Friday at Dayton High for the first state regional berth.

The loser will have to play Saturday to earn the second berth.

1B GIRLS

DeSales and Sunnyside Christian have losses in the girls district tourney and will have to play loser-out games at Dayton High on Wednesday.

DeSales meets Pomeroy at 1:30 p.m., while SSC takes on Oakesdale at 3:15 p.m.

The two are trying to earn the last state regional berth the district has available.