Toure sisters will try to bring title to Kamiakin

KENNEWICK -- Kamiakin's Khadidja and Sira Toure used to have quite the rivalry.

Playing games of 21 in the backyard with older brother Abraham and just against each other after Abraham went to college, the sisters are close but competitive.

That's why the 2010-11 basketball season presented a bit of a challenge -- playing as teammates for the first time.

"As little kids, we just tried to be better than each other," Sira Toure said. "It hit us really hard at the beginning of the season, that we have to play together and can't compete against each other."

The pairing has been met with a pretty good amount of success, though there were some early-season hiccups.

"Our playing styles are a lot different," Khadidja said. "Being able to read when she is about to do something and knowing where I need to go, was something I needed to work on."

The pair talk, play and are built differently.

Khadidja is a 5-foot-9 junior point guard who is exceptionally quick offensively and defensively. She is a bit more reserved and business-like than her younger sister.

Sira, a 5-7 freshman shooting guard, has the better jump shot of the two and uses her size to her advantage. She is louder and a bit more gregarious than her older sister.

"(Sira) is a very gifted athlete," Kamiakin coach Tammy Hutchison said. "She can shoot, she can drive to the hoop ... her defense. If you can play defense, then you can do a lot of things for your teammates. She is a well-rounded player.

"(Khadidja) is a lot more serious when she hits the court," Hutchison added. "She has matured. She's become very versatile, and she is becoming that all-around player."

Khadidja knew her role on Kamiakin's team entering the season, and she worked hard to develop a more versatile game.

The past two seasons, she was better known as someone who could drive to the basket but couldn't shoot.

"It became almost too predictable," Khadidja said. "I knew if I just started shooting better, I could get more drives in and become more of a threat. It was something I worked on really hard in the offseason, something I still work on."

Sira, on the other hand, had no idea what to expect this season.

"I just came in wanting to make varsity and hoping I would start and play," Sira said. "I just wanted to put my heart out and try as best as I can and go as hard as I need to."

Both have done exceedingly well this season, as Khadidja leads the team in scoring at 19.8 points per game.

Sira averages 8.2 points per game.

Now, the sisters are preparing for the biggest game of their lives: the state quarterfinals. Kamiakin faces Glacier Peak at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.

"I feel like this will be different," Khadidja said. "I feel like the nerves are all out. We just have to come prepared. I don't feel like there is time to be nervous."

This story was originally published March 2, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Toure sisters will try to bring title to Kamiakin ."