Field takes aim at Gorman

At first glance, the Class 4A state girls basketball tournament is a matter of two-on-two.

Two North teams, two South squads.

Two up-tempo offenses, two half-court games.

Two teams with ample size, two smaller teams.

But when it comes down to it, it might be three-on-one.

Silverado, Reno and Reed enter the tournament looking to knock off Bishop Gorman, the big, bad wolf.

Gaels coach Sheryl Krmpotich knows her team is the gold standard, the two-time defending state champion, the team without numbers on its back but bull's-eyes instead.

"No matter if we're the ones to be targeted or not, teams are always going to have their best games against us," said Krmpotich, whose team opens with Reed (23-7-1), the North's No. 2 representative, at 3 p.m. today at UNR's Lawlor Events Center. "We have to believe that we are going to play well, that's the key."

With a lineup that boasts two 6-foot-4-inch stalwarts, twin towers Dannielle Diamant and Ashley Gayle -- who had a triple-double in the team's 67-39 Sunset Regional championship win over Centennial -- Gorman (28-4) not only has confidence going into the tournament but a marked size advantage.

While the Raiders have two 6-footers in center Danielle Peacon and forward Kayla Williams, coach Sara Schopper said her team will have its work cut out.

Not that they aren't prepared.

"These girls have seen big teams and quick teams and good teams," Schopper said. "I don't think they get focused on how big they are. When they're bigger, you box out harder. When they're quick, you move your feet. I don't think they'll be intimidated.

"Our girls like this challenge -- they feed off that."

If it was just Gorman's size, that would be one thing. But the Gaels offer a dangerous backcourt with Darriel Gaynor and Aaryn Ellenberg, who can penetrate on command or shoot when needed. Ellenberg led the team with 17 points in the regional championship, and Gaynor scored 16.

But it's not Gaynor's scoring that excited Krmpotich -- it's her all-around offensive game.

"Darriel is our engine," Krmpotich said. "That was evident in the Centennial game. When she's offensively oriented, free and relaxed, our offense flows better."

The same goes for Silverado's Shea Collins.

Collins, a 5-4 sophomore guard, had 27 points in the Skyhawks' 61-49 victory over Green Valley in the Sunrise Regional final. With Jessica Schmidt and Mikayla Thielges combining for 25 points and 25 rebounds in the post, Collins was free to run Silverado's preferred slow-tempo offense against the Gators.

Coach Diane Hernandez said that again would be of utmost importance against Reno (28-3) when the teams meet in the other semifinal, at 6:20 p.m.

"We're not going to do too much different," said Hernandez, whose Skyhawks (26-9) are playing in their second straight state tournament. "We're going to talk to the kids about how we need to slow the Reno team down a little bit.

"Tempo will be a big factor in that game."

Huskies coach Shane Foster said that while his team would like to play up-tempo with an offense led by forward Raimy Novacek, it can play the post with 6-3 center Abby Boorman.

More important, he said, is that Reno and Silverado are coming off emotional wins.

"They've got to be feeling really confident in themselves," said Foster, whose Huskies nipped Reed 55-53 in the Northern 4A final. "But I'm not sure there were a lot of people up here who thought anyone would be able to give Reed a game in the North.

"And you look down there, and a lot of people expected Green Valley to come out of the Sunrise."

But those games are over, and every coach is emphasizing the fact their records are meaningless in the state tournament.

It doesn't matter that Gorman routed Centennial or that the Skyhawks held Green Valley to 25 percent shooting or that Reno squeaked by Reed.

"We can come down off that high and refocus ourselves," Foster said. "By the time 6:20 rolls around, we won't be riding that high anymore."

Said Hernandez: "Now we're starting a new season at the state tournament -- we're 0-0. We go in focusing on our team and focusing on what we can do well.

"We have to focus on our kids who've taken us this far."

And, she hopes, a couple of steps beyond.

Contact reporter Jon Gold at jgold@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4587.