Colfax, Freeman win in girls quarterfinals

YAKIMA – Coach Corey Baerlocher chafes at the notion that his very young Bulldogs are the defending state champions. That team, he argues, graduated in the form of seven seniors.

Meanwhile, seventh-ranked Colfax continues to do an admirable job of defending last year’s state title.

For a team with no seniors and only three juniors, these Bulldogs displayed poise and discipline in dispatching Lake Roosevelt, 58-46, in Thursday’s State 1A girls basketball quarterfinals, advancing to face second-ranked Napavine in tonight’s semifinal round. The other area team in the tournament, Freeman, also advanced to the semis with a 78-67 victory over White Pass.

“It’s one thing to be a freshman or a sophomore and sit on the bench all year long,” Baerlocher said. “It’s another thing to be a freshman or a sophomore and log as many minutes throughout the year as our kids did.”

Freshman point guard Jordan Harazin provided a steady hand on the tiller, leading all scorers with 16 points while breaking the Raiders’ hounding press. Fellow frosh Meagan Teade provided outside firepower, scoring 15 points.

Lake Roosevelt, like most teams that faced Colfax this season, threw a full-court press at Harazin. If the pressure rattled the ninth-grader, it never showed.

“Lake Roosevelt has a press that’s every bit as quick as the one White Swan threw at us (Wednesday) night,” Baerlocher said. “We didn’t handle it that well Wednesday because Jordan got in quick foul trouble.

“She felt bad about it because she didn’t think she’d contributed that much. I told her not to worry about it – she was able to rest up for tonight.”

Where Harazin excelled was as a floor general. There was little hesitation on her part against the press. Her decisiveness was the difference.

“Tonight we attacked and attacked,” Baerlocher said. “Wednesday night, we were standing around. That was the difference.

“Earlier in the year, I asked Jordan who it was she wanted to see with the ball in her hands with the game on the line. She said ‘Me.’ At that time I wasn’t sure if her teammates all felt that way.

“A little while after that, I asked her who she thought her teammates wanted to see with the ball in her hands and the game on the line. She said ‘Me.’ “

Freeman 78, White Pass 67

Jessie DePell was simply playing a different game from the other nine players on the SunDome court.

The Freeman junior scored 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and picked off seven steals in game that had both coaches on their feet the entire 32 minutes.

“The coach told me before the game that White Pass played just like we do and did the same things that we do,” DePell said. “I just knew what they were going to do.”

From DePell’s standpoint, she said, there was so much inspiration when she looked in the eyes of her teammates that she couldn’t help but have a career game.

“I looked at Ashlee Taylor, who has shin splints so bad she can hardly walk, but she’s still out there playing her heart out,” DePell said. “And I look at Kaila Floyd, who was so sick yesterday and was out there tonight playing hard and giving us everything she has.

“How could I not?”

Freeman coach Matt Gregg agreed.

“Sure, you can look at Jessie DePell scoring 40 points and think that’s the game,” he said. “But so many players contributed. It just tore me up every time Ashlee Taylor came out of the game – those shin splints were hurting her so bad she was in tears on the bench, but she kept going back in.”

The Scotties (22-2) play Liberty Bell in the semifinals 7:30 tonight.