Tall orders for Capital and Yelm

In today's opening round of the girls Class 3A state basketball tournament at the Tacoma Dome, Capital and Yelm will face teams that use pressure defense to win.

Yelm, back at state after qualifying for the first time in 19 years last season, opens against Seattle’s Holy Names, which is 23-2 and ranked in the top five in state all season.

Capital, returning to state for the third time in nine years under coach Colleen Wells, meets Shadle Park, which has held its last five opponents under 43 points.

“Their strength is they generate their offense with their defense,” Wells said. “They play a zone press with double teams. And they have some kids who can shoot the 3.”

Shadle Park’s 16-8 record is deceptive since it plays in the Greater Spokane League, which is a mix of 3A and 4A schools. Shadle Park stayed close with Mead, the 4A runner-up in last week’s state tournament, before losing 61-51. Mead was one of just five Shadle Park opponents to score more than 50 points.

“They use their defense to generate their fast break,” Wells said. “They use a lot of pressure.”

Holy Names’ hustling defense held West Seattle to just 13 points and held 21 opponents to under 50 points. Claire Conricode is averaging 14.2 points to lead Holy Names and Erika Johnson is averaging 12.6 points.

“Erika is a D-1 prospect,” Yelm coach Russ Riches said. “She can create lots of offense. They definitely have some weapons.”

Yelm freshman Anushka Maldonado will get the dubious honor of guarding Johnson, a 6-foot-1 guard.

“We think Anushka can match up with her,” Riches said. “Their leading scorer, Conricode, No. 25, shoots from anywhere. She attacks the basket well.”

Yelm’s Sydney Anderson will check Conricode.

“Sydney is our best defender on wings and guards,” Riches said. “She’s done a good job all year. It’s going to take a team effort.”

Katelyn Smith, a 6-foot senior post, has led Yelm in scoring all season and is averaging over 15 points. Riches hopes to run against Holy Names.

“The way to expose them is to run the floor,” Riches said. “In some game film I watched, they didn’t do a good job in getting back in transition.”

Yelm and Capital go into today’s games as the underdogs.

“Holy Names is a very good basketball team,” Riches said. “Everybody in state expects them to win. Everyone but the 12 in our gym are expecting them to win. But we’re excited about being there. We feel we can compete.”

Wells is hoping to get big games out of guard Tosha Hollingsworth and forward Aria Goodman, Capital’s leading scorers all season.

“This group of kids has responded well to setting the bar high,” Wells said. “I know we had some adversity at district. But it will be to our benefit.”

Wells isn’t planning on making any last-minute changes to Capital’s offense or defense.

“You stick with what got you there,” Well said.

To prepare his team for the open spaces of the Tacoma Dome, Riches put his team through a shoot-around practice on Monday at Saint Martin’s.

Yelm and Capital walked through the Tacoma Dome on Tuesday night and had ice cream afterward.

Gail Wood: 360-754-5443

gwood@theolympian.com