Putting the North Idaho in NIC

With a combined record of 56-11 over the past two seasons, the North Idaho women's basketball team will take its show on the road to Salina, Kan., this week with one goal - bring an NJCAA championship to Rolly Williams Court.

While the success of Coeur d'Alene High standouts Deanna Dotts, Kama Griffitts and Amy Warbrick led to two 5A championships, a 2-2 (eighth place) finish at last year's tournament showed the Cardinals that work still had to be done to reach the ultimate goal of a national title.

"Playing with Kama and Amy, it's nice to have someone that knows your tendencies," said Dotts, who redshirted following knee surgery on the 2008 NIC team that finished ninth at nationals. "To spend so many years playing with them, it's easier to come together. Being in my hometown, it has made it easier to go from the high school to the college game. It's been comfortable and was nice to know what you have coming in."

And with the team gaining the experience of playing at the NJCAA tournament last year, Dotts added the expectations have increased.

"Last year, only Katie Sanders had played at nationals," Dotts said. "We've got more experience in those kind of tough games this year. This team, it's been an expectation all year to get back here. Those players we added are so good. Our goal was not just to make it back - but to win it all."

Camille Reynolds, who played point guard at Lakeland High in Rathdrum, moved to shooting guard at NIC as a freshman.

"At first, it was really difficult," Reynolds said. "But once you start practicing each day, you begin to get acclimated to it."

Reynolds spent four years at the varsity level battling against her current teammates to the point where they couldn't stand each other on the court.

"A lot of us didn't like each other," Reynolds said. "We're all really close now. When I played against these girls in high school, we at least respected each others' game."

Reynolds also knew the team could be special should they wind up on the same court.

"Out of high school, we were all the studs of the area," Reynolds said. "We knew we'd be a good team and possibly the best team ever at NIC and it shows with our relationships with each other. I look at us like a good NBA team. Coming here, I knew my defense had to improve to play at this level, so I sacrificed scoring points for everyone else."

Griffitts, who committed to play at the University of Arizona, said NJCAA competition was an adjustment from her days at CHS.

"I've been surprised with how competitive the games are," Griffitts said. "I really didn't expect it to be as big of a transition."

Her role from main scorer at CHS to NIC has also changed as well.

"In high school, we didn't have as many good players as we do right now," Griffitts said. "Instead of being looked at as a main scorer, my role here is to distribute to even out our skill on the court. Every person on the floor has the job of keeping up the intensity on the floor. All of us have a big responsibility."

Griffitts has also formed a bond with former Lewiston forward Kiki Edwards-Teasley and Reynolds.

"In high school, I always enjoyed playing against them," Griffitts said. "I really didn't expect us to get as close as we have. It's been really cool."

Warbrick, a three-year starter at point guard at Coeur d'Alene, started through her freshman season at NIC and midway through her sophomore year before injuring her hip in early January.

"Either starting or coming off the bench, it's nice to go out and give your team a boost when you've got the minutes," said Warbrick of the transition from starter to reserve. "It's all about what you can bring while you're on the court."

"She was playing really well and then got hurt," NIC women's coach Chris Carlson said. "We put Korina (Baker) in there and she hasn't let go of the spot."

Warbrick added that sharing the backcourt with Reynolds is better than trying to guard her.

"Camille's super quick," Warbrick said. "It's good to have another quick guard on the court. I like it better than trying to slow her down."

Edwards-Teasley battled with Coeur d'Alene for four years at Lewiston High, including AAU tournaments against Griffitts and Dotts.

"It's kind of funny," Edwards-Teasley said. "They had the Spokane Stars and we had the Blazers. It was kind of cool we could come together. We knew how and what made each other click on the court."

The players also exchanged some jabs as their alma maters battled for the previous two state 5A girls basketball championships.

"There's always has been some joking around about that," Edwards-Teasley said. "I didn't say much after the game this year, but it was really cool my team won this time. They worked hard to get there."

Edwards-Teasley, who missed most of her freshman season with a broken foot, will move on to the University of Portland next season.

"After coming here, I really learned about what it was like to play as a team," Edwards-Teasley said. "Coming back from my foot, I knew I had to suck it up and come back."

Playing through the injury, Edwards-Teasley also increased her presence in the post.

"It made me a stronger player," said Edwards-Teasley, who picked up some advice from her father, James Edwards, a three-time NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

"They had a rule that if a player gets into the paint, you make sure they don't get the shot off," said Edwards-Teasley of the 'Bad Boys' Piston teams. "Whether you fouled them or blocked them, they had a rule that they don't get the shot off. I don't make it a habit to foul, but I try to limit any shot I can. He told me you've got to be bigger and stronger than they were."

Kiki said her dad is expected to be on hand when NIC opens the national tournament on Wednesday against Georgia Perimeter at 10 a.m. PDT.

"It's really cool," Edwards-Teasley said. "It's exciting to have him there. I always enjoy playing in front of family, and I know the rest of them will be watching in Lapwai that can't make it there."

Chantel Divilbiss played three years at Moscow High before transferring to De Pere, Wis., for her senior year of high school after her father, Mike, went from coaching women's basketball at the University of Idaho to coaching the women at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

"After playing at Moscow and De Pere, it was a big level improvement," Divilbiss said. "Instead of doing things like scoring the basketball, I learned more about doing the little things on the court, like defensive stops are just as important as scoring points."

Since coming to NIC, Divilbiss has gone from the starting point guard to a reserve in her sophomore season.

"The way I look at it, I've got the same role," Divilbiss said. "Now, I play more of a wing than point guard. I like to play a little of both and feel I can score better from the wing. I like mixing it up and not having a set spot."

Divilbiss said she used to play against Baker, from Valleyford, Wash., in junior high and high school.

NIC sophomore guard Timena Shebala played with Divilbiss at Moscow High. Another Cardinal, Amanda Carlton, is from nearby Shadle Park High in Spokane. In fact, the only two players on the roster not from North Idaho or eastern Washington are Tugce Canitez from Turkey and Julia Salmio from Finland.

Chantel said her father will also be in attendance when the Cardinals open the tournament Wednesday.

"He'll be down there for 2 or 3 games," Divilbiss said. "But they'll be in the NCAA tournament so I'm not sure for how long."

Mike Divilbiss is in his third year as an assistant at UW-Green Bay, a team that showed some interest earlier this year in recruiting his daughter.

"They wanted me to walk on," Chantel Divilbiss said. "I spent the summer working out with them. They are a mid-level Division 1 team and I want to go somewhere that I've got a chance to get on the floor."

After opening the Scenic West Athletic Conference schedule with two straight losses, the Cardinals took a break from basketball during the winter break.

A three-day road trip to Arizona to tangle with then third-ranked Central Arizona, as well as Chandler-Gilbert and Scottsdale opened the new year and they haven't looked back since - winning 17 of their next 18 games entering Wednesday.

The Cardinals defeated Central Arizona 80-73 and rolled past Scottsdale and Chandler-Gilbert by a combined 113 points. Central Arizona is the eighth seed in this week's tournament.

"After those first two losses, we knew this was not the way it was supposed to go," Reynolds said. "Once we won at Central Arizona, we knew we could play with anyone."

Griffitts scored 29 points in that matchup as the Cardinals pulled away late.

"We knew they hadn't lost much at home," Griffitts said. "From that, we knew we could handle anyone and had a chance to make a run for a national championship."

"Everyone had this idea that we came close as a team that week," Warbrick said. "Everyone wanted to do their part and try to help the team win."

"I think we learned what kind of team we were in Arizona," Edwards-Teasley said. "We've had people coming up and telling us we're a great team since then and we've brought that to the court with us ever since."

If you were to watch the NIC squad before practices or games, either joking around in the stands or laughing, you'd wonder how they were serious enough to wind up with a 28-3 record and a fifth seed in the NJCAA tournament.

"We enjoy just sitting around and laughing," Dotts said. "If you were to watch us before a game, you'd wonder just how we play the way we do. We all know each other and are so loose on the court, it works for us."

Not even an early season 20-hour bus ride from Wyoming back to Coeur d'Alene could put the damper on a three-game sweep of the Casper College tournament in November.

"Even thought the bus ride sucked, we still had a lot of fun," Dotts said. "When we travel, it becomes a game to mess

see NIC, B4

from B2

with people. The way we get ready for a game is to laugh. We need it to do well."

"We've had so many good times together, both on and off the court," Reynolds said. "Hopefully we can win a national title."

"I'll definitely miss the people around here," Griffitts said. "The bond I've created with the players has been amazing. With Tugce (Canitez), when basketball is done, I can see Camille and I getting on a plane and going to Turkey to see her. I'm real grateful for my teammates."

When NIC got to the national tournament five years ago comprised mostly of a sophomore team, coach Chris Carlson wondered if it could be done again.

"Right away, I knew I'd have to get another crew of freshman after the season," Carlson said. "Five years ago, after that group when we made our first trip to nationals, we wondered if we could find another group like that and we did. This group is really, really special. If we can outdo this group, it will really be special."

NJCAA TOURNAMENT

Times PST

Opening round

Tuesday

Game 1 - No. 3 Trinity Valley Community College (31-2) vs. John A. Logan College, 8 a.m.

Game 2 - No. 6 Grayson County College (27-3) vs. No. 11 Casper College (24-9), 10 a.m.

Game 3 - No. 7 Cloud County Community College (25-7) vs. No. 10 Northern Oklahoma-Enid (28-5), 4:15 p.m.

Game 4 - No. 2 Vincennes University (27-2) vs. No. 15 Wallace State Community College, noon.

Game 5 - No. 1 Pensacola Junior College (33-0) vs. No. 16 Malcolm X College (22-8), 2 p.m.

Game 6 - No. 8 Central Arizona College (27-4) vs. No. 9 Copiah-Lincoln Community College (25-2), 6:15 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 7 - No. 5 North Idaho College (28-3) vs. No. 12 Georgia Perimeter (28-5), 10 a.m.

Game 8 - No. 4 State Fair Community College (28-4) vs. No. 13 Chattanooga State Community College (22-6), noon