Mountainview grabs sixth-place at Washinton State 3A Hardwood Classic anticipates run for title next season | Girls Basketball

By Shawn Skager • March 9, 2011 8:24 pm
Cait Carr elevates for a shot against North Central at the Washington State 3A Girls Basketball Hardwood Classic championship tourney. Carr was selected to as a second team all-tourney player.
Cait Carr elevates for a shot against North Central at the Washington State 3A Girls Basketball Hardwood Classic championship tourney. Carr was selected to as a second team all-tourney player.

For the Auburn Mountainview girls basketball team, grabbing a school-best sixth place at the state 3A Hardwood Classic last weekend at the Tacoma Dome was all gravy.

According to coach Chris Carr, who led a team laden with underclassman and just one senior, the finish at state is just a preview of what the Lions hope to do next season.

“Our goal was just to get here,” Coach Carr said. “And we always said let’s make some noise this year and get ready for next year.”

Despite ending the season with a 55-35 loss to Kennedy Catholic in the fourth-place consolation final last Saturday morning, the Auburn Mountainview girls compiled an impressive list of accomplishments this season.

The Lions battled their way through the South Puget Sound League 3A, finishing with a 9-1 record and edging rival Lakes for the program’s first ever league title.

In addition, Auburn Mountainview fought through several loser-out contests in  district play just to make it to the state tournament.

“It was a great season,” junior post Cait Carr said. “This was one of our goals from the start. We made our goals, and our last one was to get a trophy at the state tournament and play the last day you could play, and we did it. We’re really proud to take home some hardware and get the school’s best finish at basketball.”

Carr led the Lions this year with a 17.1 points-per-game average and was selected as the SPSL 3A’s MVP. In addition, Carr was selected to the SPSL 3A first-team and the Hardwood Classic’s second-team all-tournament squad.

Also honored was junior Hattie Kosko, who averaged 8.9 points a game and was chosen for the league’s first-team squad. Junior guard Aalia Braboy was selected to the all-league’s second-team, and fellow junior Erika Lombardo earned an honorable mention.

Carr, meanwhile was selected SPSL 3A Coach of the Year.

The Lions finish the season with a 23-9 record. The team’s only roster loss this season is senior guard Tayla Alfrey.

For Cait Carr and the rest of the team, the hardware is nice, but now it’s time to look ahead to the 2011-2012 campaign.

“Our work starts tomorrow,” she said. “We need to come back our senior year, get a better place, and hopefully play in the championship game.”