4A Championship: Who Wins and How?

<span style="font-size: 18pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Central Valley Wins If they…</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Control the Glass</strong></span> Central Valley came up against a Union team with dominant size, and they were still able to outrebound the Titans because they crashed the boards and out-hustled their opponents. At one point late in their semifinal matchup with Union, the Bears grabbed four offensive rebounds to keep possession before finally scoring. Rebounding is one of the fortunate byproducts of having the will to win and the conditioning to exert that will for 36 minutes. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="85877" first="MJ" last="Bruno"] is the embodiment of this point. At 5’10” she pulled down 9 rebounds in the semifinals, and again, this is against a team with four athletes listed at 6’0” or better. Central Valley will be successful if they can continue to crash the boards and grab rebounds. <span style="font-size: 14pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Force Turnovers</strong></span> Central Valley was able to force 21 turnovers from Union, and this Bears team is too dangerous on the breakaway to give them any freebies. Woodinville had only 13 turnovers in their semifinal matchup with Glacier Peak, and point guard [player_tooltip player_id="27947" first="Veronica" last="Sheffey"] is impressive with her handles and her poise. They are a very well-conditioned team, and they’re constantly flying around the court. Even on defensive rebounds, Central Valley is always looking for a quick outlet, and if they can continue to create points from turnovers, they will be hard to beat. <span style="font-size: 14pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Continue to Move the Ball</strong></span> Unlike Glacier Peak who had two scorers that carried most of their team’s weight, Central Valley has seen widespread contributions. They had five athletes with 8 or more points in their semifinal win: [player_tooltip player_id="144513" first="Michael" last="Pitts"], [player_tooltip player_id="85915" first="Peyton" last="Howard"], Grace Geldien, [player_tooltip player_id="144526" first="Chloe" last="Williams"], and Abby Lewis. What’s more, they have more athletes who can create their own shot or get to the rim. Their passing is absolutely top-notch, and all those skills combine to allow them to be dangerous from any spot on the court. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Woodinville Wins if they…</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Control the Tempo</strong></span> In Woodinville’s semifinal matchup with Glacier Peak, they had a total of 54 field goal attempts. Central Valley had 77 in their previous game. Woodinville has a high-efficiency offense while Central Valley has a high-quantity offense. If Woodinville can be efficient on offense and interrupt Central Valley’s transition game to limit their attempts, they win. Woodinville has the athleticism to run with the Bears. Tatum Thompson and [player_tooltip player_id="144535" first="Brooke" last="Beresford"] have plenty of speed, and the entire team matches up well with Central Valley in terms of size and stature. Neither team has dominant height, but they’re both fast enough to get away with it. <span style="font-size: 14pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Get another Big Night from Tatum Thompson</strong></span> Woodinville can expect big things from the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="82922" first="Mia" last="Hughes"] who scored 23 point in her last game, but Tatum Thompson’s 17-point outpouring was a welcome surprise, and the fact that she did it so efficiently is even more impressive. Her natural athleticism also makes her a difference-maker on defense. Central Valley shot well from behind the arc last night, but if Tatum can use her speed and agility on close outs, she can limit that scoring. Likewise, [player_tooltip player_id="27947" first="Veronica" last="Sheffey"] is another player whose scoring can get her team a win. She only had 7 points in the semifinals, and she is capable of going off for 20. <span style="font-size: 14pt;color: #f75617"><strong>Play Smart</strong></span> Woodinville’s winning effort over Glacier Peak came by virtue of Woodinville’s defensive game plan. They learned from their previous matchups with the Grizzlies, and they totally shut down Glacier Peak’s offense. Aside from Collins and Erling no other Grizzly scored more than 4 points. Woodinville’s ability to be so effective is indicative of both their discipline and basketball IQ. Under the bright lights of the championship game, this type of mental edge can go a long way in securing a victory.