Class 2B State Girls Basketball: Vital trio push Adna back to semifinals

SPOKANE — It was a simultaneous action.

Minutes after pouring in a combined 56 points in the Class 2B state tournament quarterfinals, Adna High School girls basketball players Karsyn Freeman and Gaby Guard shook their heads up and down over the topic of teammate, Bailey Chapman.

The 6-foot post doesn’t score a lot of points. She doesn’t garner the attention, nor grabs the headlines.

All the junior does is fly under the radar and be the unsung hero of the Pirates quest for school history.

“She saves us down there,” Guard said. “She does a lot of things that go unnoticed.”

Freeman and Guard did the scoring, Chapman did the blocking and second-seeded Adna did the winning in taking care of ninth-seeded Mabton 74-41 inside Spokane Arena to clinch a semifinal berth for the second consecutive postseason.

Standing in its way is arch rival fifth-seeded Napavine, a 36-30 winner over Brewster. It will be the third meeting this season and third straight time battling on the east side of the state.

To this point, Adna (23-2) won both meetings this winter. A third time would put it into the state championship for the first time ever.

“The supporting cast today did enough,” Pirates head coach Chris Bannish said. “We all know where they want to go. We have to be proud we have two D4 teams left. We got to let the chips fall where they may.”

Just 24 hours ago, Mabton erased a double digit deficit and stunned top-seeded Rainier in the Round of 12. Once the Vikings unleashed the full-court press, they fueled on turnovers that secured the victory.

Adna was well prepared for the press and had little issue breaking it. Already up 17 after three, a 10-0 flurry put the game in its grasp. Bannish emptied the bench in the waning moments of the contest.

“I actually was hoping they would and if we made the ‘A’ to ‘B’ to ‘C’ passes, we thought we could break the press,” Bannish said. “I wouldn't be coaching if it wasn't for what I have around me.”

Chapman ended with just four blocks, but her presence was a major factor. For one of the most guard-heavy rosters that thrives on attacking the paint, Mabton shot just 34 percent from inside the arc.

It forced a perimeter attack that made just five triples on 26 attempts.

“We really trusted each other and it worked out,” Guard said.

Since playing in the opening round on Saturday at noon in Chehalis, the Pirates have gone five full days without getting competitive reps. None of the rust was evident in a 12-6 early cushion, a point margin that stayed after the first eight minutes.

Then Freeman took matters into her own hands.

The C2BL MVP scored the first 11 points in the second frame to push the advantage to 14. She finished with 34 points on the night on 14-of-26 from the field and she dished out a team-high five assists.

“It is hard to come play a game after you’ve been practicing,” Freeman said. “That (nervousness) went away.”

Guard buried a triple to extend the lead to 19 at the end of the third and in the fourth, knocked down another 3-pointer to give Adna its largest lead at 22. It got the lead to 30-plus once the starters exited.

And yet, even in a blowout win, the energy tank was nearing empty. The Vikings style is unforgiving to opponents. The Pirates, even with some early foul trouble, still had more than enough to push until the final buzzer.

“They know how to play,” Bannish said of Mabton. “We kept them off the free throw line.”

Guard chipped in 22 points on six 3s while Danika Hallom added 10. Chapman hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds and Adna finished the night with 1.37 points per possession.

And now, it has a shot at a dish of revenge on Friday night.

Napavine has been a thorn in the Pirates’ side in Spokane. The two league foes met in the quarterfinals in 2023 and the semis a season ago, both matchups won by the Tigers.

“Whoever wants it more,” Freeman said. “I’mn ready for it.”

Bannish was blunt afterwards. He preached to his group to stay humble, despite all the honors and accolades showered upon them. Plus, there’s the mental hurdle of a clear head and not letting the moment get too big.

Just a handful of months ago, this same collection of players went through the state volleyball tournament and ended up playing for a title.

So is Bannish worried? Far from.

“To be honest, I couldn’t ask for a better group,” he said.