Ashlan Bryant scores 27 points, Deer Park races past Coeur d’Alene 75-56

The Deer Park girls basketball team came within one win of a perfect season and state title last season.

But moving up a classification – from the Northeast 1A League to the Greater Spokane League 2A division – is a big jump and provides the Stags opportunity anew to prove themselves against higher competition on a nightly basis.

In preparation for the promotion, Deer Park has scheduled mostly bigger schools during the nonleague portion of its schedule, with games against 4A Ferris, Idaho 6A Lake City and a holiday tournament at Glacier Peak HS in Snohomish, Washington, where it will be the smallest school in the bracket.

Thursday night’s game at Coeur d’Alene, ranked No. 4 in the Idaho state media poll and led by Division I prospect Brookeslee Colvin, was part of that challenging early gantlet – all in preparation for another state run from a talented group of players.

If it was a test, consider it an A-plus.

Sophomore guard Ashlan Bryant scored 27 points to lead three in double figures and the Stags beat the Vikings 75-56 in a game slowed by the sheer number of fouls and violations called.

Junior guard Jacey Boesel scored 17 points and senior Brooklyn Coe added 12 for the Stags (3-0).

Coeur d’Alene (5-4) was led by Colvin with 14 points, though she went 0 for 5 from beyond the arc. Kelsey Carroll added 14 points and Lexi Wheeler had 12.

“When we got hired (at Deer Park) seven years ago, it was kind of broken a little bit,” Deer Park coach KC Ahrens said. “We had to make sure we had to find games to win. We had to schedule appropriate (competition), find something to instill confidence. Our girls aren’t scared of anybody now.”

After playing so many big schools at the start of the season, the Stags might find moving back into league after the holidays less stressful.

“It’s hard to not look down the road,” Ahrens said.

“But I keep preaching, us or Clarkston may not make it, which is just crazy. Winning league will be a huge goal for us to try hosting Clarkston (in districts). But then if you make it (state), you’ve got a chance. Last year’s the first time ever winning a trophy. It was a pretty good one. But getting there is huge.

“The kids get a week of school off. You get to go down and hang out together and have fun, enjoy the moment. That’s the goal, and hopefully you’re playing on Saturday.”

Deer Park came out of the gates flying.

The Stags got early 3-pointers by Bryant, Boesel and Berlyn Zimmerer and used a full-court press after makes to pressure Coeur d’Alene into turnovers.

After a thoroughly dominant first quarter, Deer Park led 31-4.

“When we’re dialed in defensively, we make things difficult on teams,” Ahrens said. “We did a pretty good job scouting report-wise.”

Bryant scored 13 points in the quarter.

“She does a lot of good stuff,” Ahrens said. “We talk about her a lot, but our girls – we can share it, we can score it. … Ash creates a lot of stuff.”

Coeur d’Alene freshman Lexi Wheeler scored three buckets in the paint innthe second quarter, and the Vikings reduced the deficit to 16 at the half (42-26).

“We laxed up a little bit,” Ahrens said. “Part of that was them, part of it was us. But we needed to be pushed. They cut it to 14 at one point and we got a little sweat going.”

But Bryant and Boesel hit 3s in the third quarter as Deer Park extended its lead to 59-29 heading to the fourth quarter.