Have defense, will travel.

Three games in a row, the Raiders have shut down the opposing team’s leading scorer.

“I think if we play how we played today and all the other games, we can get to the finals,” Three Rivers’ Jamiyah Thomas said.

In the first round, Eastern Oklahoma’s Brayanna Polk was 1 for 6 from the field for five points. The freshman guard was averaging 14.3 points on 33.9% shooting.

Then came Casper, led by Kobe King-Hawea and her 15.5 points per game. The Thunderbirds were undefeated before losing their region championship game but were still seeded one spot ahead of the Raiders at No. 8 and got the bye that came with it.

Leading into the game, the Raiders talked about a Bleacher Report article about King-Hawea, calling her “the Female Baller Blazing a New Path to the Pros.”

After getting seven points early on 3 for 4 shooting, King-Hawea was 1 for 4 for three points over 19 minutes between the second and third quarters, and the Raiders led by 11 heading into the fourth quarter.

King-Hawea got seven points in the fourth and finished with a respectable 17 points and nine rebounds on 7 for 13 shooting. But her late burst wasn’t enough to get the win.

Up next was Western Nebraska’s Alejah Douglas, averaging 18.4 for the season and 22 for the tournament.

Douglas didn’t get a point until the third quarter.

Heading into the fourth quarter, she was 1 for 5 shooting with seven turnovers. Douglas turned things around some and was 2 for 5 on 3-pointers and 3 for 8 in the fourth quarter to finish 4 for 13 overall for 11 points.

However, it was her second-worst shooting performance of the season, and the first time she’s failed to make a third of her shots since her second game of the season.

Up next is Northwest Florida State’s Chanaya Pinto.

“We’re going to do what we do,” Three Rivers’ Autumn Dodd said.

Pinto is averaging 14.2 points and 8.4 rebounds on 50.6% shooting. She’s a 65.9% free-throw shooter and will attempt a 3-pointer or two a game at a 31.3% clip.

A 6-foot, 1-inch forward from Mozambique, Pinto has averaged 10.3 points over six games since March 25.

In a win over no. 4 South Plains on Thursday, Pinto finished 23 points and four rebounds on 8 for 12 shooting.

Masengo Mutanda and Last-Tear Poa, both averaging just under 12 points per game, had 21 and 20 points in the region championship, then scored 15 and 12 points against Otero on Wednesday.

Against South Plains, Matuanda has two points, and Poa had 24.

Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic