CIA girls depending on state experience
Eight of Cook Inlet Academy's girls returned to the basketball team this season. Having earned a berth to the Class 2A state tournament for four years in a row, most of the team is prepared for the atmosphere.
But most also remember the sting of going two and out last year -- a feeling the Eagles are hoping to erase with this year's state tourney.
CIA takes on Point Hope on Thursday at 1:15 p.m. at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.
"Last year, we didn't go into it with a competitive mind-set," said junior Lauren Bauder. This year, CIA has to take advantage of the opportunity, she said.
Like the boys side, the 2A girls bracket is anyone's guess, as teams don't face one another often, if at all, during the season. Many schools don't report scores to the Alaska Schools Activities Association, making preparation for the tournament that much harder, said Eagles head coach Rustin Hitchcock at Thursday's practice.
"We're searching the Internet and grasping any information we can get," he said.
Despite the frustration, "You kinda just have to go with it," said CIA junior Tiana McGahan.
However, the lack of knowledge about opposing teams forces his squad to focus on itself, Hitchcock said.
"We just have to be prepared to play the best possible team for every game," he said. Hitchcock said his team must be ready to play three great basketball games.
This week's practice has been focused on strength and conditioning, Hitchcock said.
"We know our game plan, it's just becoming better athletes," he said.
The team has to keep its composure and keep shooting, even if the shots aren't falling, McGahan said.
"With our team and how well we're improving, we think we can do well," she said.
"Everyone is pretty unified," Bauder said of the team atmosphere.
"We're just ready to go out there and play our game," said senior captain Amie Smithwick.
Smithwick said mental toughness is key for success at state. Communicating and finding a rhythm, too, are essentials, she said.
"We play full-pressure the whole time," Smithwick said. "It's mostly our speed and communication that keeps us in our tempo."
The Eagles are coming off of a 33-31 win in the Peninsula Conference title game last Friday against Ninilchik. It was CIA's first conference title in more than two decades.
"Our defense won that tournament for us," Hitchcock said.
It's the Eagles' tough press that will be essential for CIA's success at state, he said.
"We get so much transition points from that press," Hitchcock said.
"It speeds up the game a lot for us," Bauder said. "That's one of our strengths, our speed."
"Our defense is definitely our strongest thing," McGahan said. "That's how we get so many of our points."
Smithwick said the entire team trusts each other and everyone contributes to the scoring.
"I don't feel like I have to carry the team," said Smithwick, who typically leads CIA in scoring most games. The Peninsula Conference championship proved that, she said.
Due to foul trouble, Smithwick was forced to sit out and she did not score any points. But her team still came away with the win.
"If we get nine players out there, we usually have nine scorers," Smithwick said. "It's been a lot more of a team effort this year than any other."