Too many second-chance points and in the end, too many missteps for the sixth-seeded W.F. West High School girls basketball team on Friday night in a Class 2A opening round loss to third-seeded Prosser, 71-54 at Grandview High School in Yakima.
It now marks six years since the Bearcats (20-5) have won an opening round contest. They will now be back in the Round of 12 on Wednesday inside the Yakima Valley SunDome for the 9 a.m. game. The opponent will either be No. 11 Nathan Hale or No. 14 Sequim.
“They are physical, relentless on crashing the boards. They are a tough team,” W.F. West head coach Kyle Karnofski said of Prosser. “Some turnovers cost us. You can’t give them multiple chances.”
Per the Bearcats sideline keeping track of the statistics, the Mustangs finished with 17 second-chance points. It was one of the primary factors in a two-point halftime lead ballooning to 10 after three and got to as big as 20 in the final frame.
A stark contrast from the opening quarter, where W.F. West held firm and led by a basket. Prosser eventually took the lead in the second stanza on a 6-0 spree and never looked back.
“Our girls did a really good job,” Karnofski said.
Junior Dilyn Boeck was the primary scorer and delivered with a game-high 31 points, including a 30-foot trifecta just before the final horn. Kaitlyn Chloupek added 13 points and five others finished with two points.
Karnofski credited Boeck, Chloupek and Hadley Hoffman for leading the way in trying to break Prosser’s diamond press defense. Now, W.F. West will have to win one game bright and early to put itself in the double elimination part of the bracket.
The Bearcats were in the same spot two years ago, won in the Round of 12, but didn't claim a trophy after two straight losses.
“If our effort and focus is to that same level, we can compete with anybody in the state,” Karnofski stated. “That is a challenge we are ready to take on. You have to win some games and compete and our girls are still excited to get that opportunity.”
