Tri-Cities has the top girls MCC team heading into WA district basketball tournaments

When the Kamiakin girls basketball team lost Nikole Thomas and Maddy Rendall last June to graduation, Braves head coach Lane Schumacher wasn’t sure what he had for the coming season.

“I wasn’t quite sure how good we would be before the season started,” said Schumacher recently. “But I saw some glimpses of it last summer. I was wondering, are we going to come together?”

They have.

While Thomas headed off to play at Memphis State, and Rendall to Idaho State, Schumacher needed some players to step up to take their places.

That started with senior Nicole Wertenberger, who leads the team in scoring at 18.6 points per game.

But she has plenty of help.

Emauni Smith (12.9 points), Aubrey Herrin (9.7) and Liv Whitemarsh-Bass (9.1) also contribute big points, as well as rebounds. Camia Howard is a stable force under the basket for the Braves.

Kamiakin clinched the MCC regular-season title this past weekend with wins over Richland and Pasco.

That allows the Braves to have the No. 1 seed in this coming week’s start of the District 8 4A tournament, with just Hanford to play on Tuesday.

Kamiakin is 18-1 as of Sunday night, and is recognized as one of Washington state’s better 4A girls teams.

“I like our length,” said Schumacher. “We can cause other teams problems. Our scoring can be spread out.”

And that’s a remedy for success.

▪ Don’t look now, but Chiawana is starting to get hot.

The Riverhawks scored 98 points in each of their last two contests this past weekend.

Chiawana routed Hanford 98-45 on Friday night, then beat Hermiston 98-58 on Saturday night.

The Riverhawks will be slotted into the MCC No. 2 position in the 4A tournament this week, getting a chance at a home game.

Kennewick had victories over Richland and Walla Walla to take control in the MCC 3A race.

The Lions, with a win over Pasco on Tuesday, are looking at having the MCC’s No. 1 seed in the District 8 3A tournament that begins next Saturday.

District tournaments

As with the boys district tournament, all five Class 4A MCC teams qualify for the District 8 tournament with the Greater Spokane League.

This tournament starts Thursday, Feb. 8, at various sites.

Then top two placers in the 4A tournament will earn state regional berths. The statewide regional games are set for Feb. 23-24 at various sites.

Meanwhile, Kennewick has the inside track for the MCC’s top seed in the 3A District 8 tournament with the GSL.

A 60-45 win over Walla Walla on Friday night has given the Lions a one-game lead in the standings over the Blue Devils headed into Tuesday’s final regular-season games.

So Kennewick and Wa-Hi will be some form of 1-2, while Hermiston has clinched the MCC’s third berth.

The 3A girls tournament begins this coming Saturday at various sites. The top three placers in the tournament advance to the 3A state regionals.

Girls Basketball

4A MID-COLUMBIA CONFERENCE

Through games of Feb. 3

Kamiakin (4A) 14-1 MCC, 18-1 overall

Chiawana (4A) 13-3, 16-5

Kennewick (3A) 10-5, 14-6

Walla Walla (3A) 9-6, 11-8

Richland (4A) 8-7, 10-9

Hermiston (3A) 6-9, 9-10

Hanford (4A) 4-11, 5-14

Southridge (3A) 2-13, 6-14

Pasco (4A) 2-13, 3-16

Feb. 1 — Kennewick 66, Richland 42

Feb. 2 — Chiawana 98, Hanford 45; Kamiakin 50, Richland 44; Kennewick 60, Walla Walla 45; Southridge 46, Pasco 43.

Feb. 3 — Chiawana 98, Hermiston 58; Kamiakin 72, Pasco 29; Southridge 60, Hanford 59

Feb. 6 — Hanford at Kamiakin, 5:45 p.m.; Hermiston at Southridge, 5:45 p.m.; Pasco at Kennewick, 5:45 p.m.; Richland at Walla Walla, 5:45 p.m.

DISTRICT 8 4A GIRLS TOURNAMENT

Feb. 8

Game 1, MCC 5 (Pasco) at MCC 1 (Kamiakin), 6 pm.

Game 2, MCC 3 (Richland) at GSL 2, 6 p.m.

Game 3, GSL 3 (Lewis & Clark) at MCC 2 (Chiawana), 6 p.m.

Game 4, MCC 4 (Hanford) at GSL 1, 6 p.m.

Feb. 10

Game 5, loser 1 vs. loser 2 (loser out), TBDGame 6, loser 3 vs. Loser 4 (loser out), TBD

Game 7, winner 1 vs. winner 2, TBD

Game 8, winner 3 vs. winner 4, TBD

DISTRICT 8 3A GIRLS TOURNAMENT

Feb. 10

Game 1, GSL 5 (Mt. Spokane) at GSL 1 (Mead), 4 p.m.

Game 2, GSL 3 at MCC 2, 6 p.m.

Game 3, MCC 3 (Hermiston) at GSL 2, 6 p.m.

Game 4, GSL 4 at MCC 1, 6 p.m.