Big Bend women face upset-minded Mt. Hood in tournament opener

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Connor Vanderweyst

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend women’s basketball knows what it’s like to be a tournament Cinderella.

Last season, the fourth-seeded Vikings upset Grays Harbor on their way to the Final Four. Now, the metaphorical glass slipper is on the other foot. The Vikings are the No. 1 seed ranked second in the Northwest Athletic Conference coaches poll entering this weekend’s NWAC Tournament.

“We experienced being the Cinderella last year and we don’t want somebody to try and be the Cinderella on us,” head coach Preston Wilks said.

Big Bend (14-2, 25-4) will face No. 4 seed Mt. Hood (11-5, 20-9) in the opening round of the tournament Saturday, 10 a.m., at Everett Community College. Viewed as a contender to win the whole tournament, Big Bend will have to avoid the same letdown Grays Harbor suffered a season ago.

The weight of a top seed is not lost on the players.

“I feel like a target on our back with being the No. 1 seed and I think we realize that even though we’re playing a No. 4 seed we have to come out kind of like we did last year and think every team was the best team and come out and play as hard as we can and play our game,” sophomore guard Miranda Johnson said.