Girls hoops just seems more fun

Now I remember.

It’s been a while since I’ve watched girls basketball, but within just a few minutes last Friday night, it all came back — just how much I enjoyed seeing these young ladies hoop it up.

This was the Lake City-Coeur d’Alene game, and frankly, it was a pretty scratchy affair on both sides.

Klaire Mitchell, who scored 14 points and perhaps rescued Lake City from being upset, put it bluntly: “Oooh, we didn’t play very well.”

I only happen to know Klaire’s assessment of the 43-37 victory because she came bounding up the bleachers to visit her parents right after the game.

And quite by accident, I had wound up sitting next to Klaire’s dad, Keith, and talking basketball during the evening — so Klaire’s commentary was immediately available in between her chats with teammate Chloe Teets and frequent checks on her smartphone.

Oh, and viewing of what the girls thought was a hilarious sign hauled up into the stands by yet another senior, Sara Muehlhausen.

This is off topic for a second, but…

Those girls can play their iPhones like first-row violinists with the New York Symphony.

WHEN I think about it, that whole post-game scene in the bleachers displayed a real part of what I love about watching girls basketball.

They have fun.

Years ago, when you could say things that weren’t exactly politically correct (and would be way out of bounds now), a college basketball coach who shall remain anonymous resigned his job with a university men’s team to coach the school’s women.

After a couple of months, he was asked about it and indicated he didn’t regret the change for a second.

“The girls pay more attention, they play the right way…and they smell better,” he said.

OK, the final part of that quote needs to go in the bin.

Still, that coach nailed some basic reasons I like watching the girls play. As he said, they’re almost always doing their best to play a proper type of basketball.

Go ahead and whine about their limitations if you like — no dunks, no spectacular up-and-under reverse layups — but even if I seem old fashioned by saying this, I think it’s great to see the game as it was designed.

Move the ball, set screens, run patterns to get open shots.

Yeah, it sounds like something from the James Naismith peach-basket era, but it’s cool because you have to do it right.

BESIDES the style of play, though, I’ve got to go back to the notion of having fun.

Both teams on Friday night made sure to slap hands with teammates coming on and off the floor.

Nobody groused at the officials.

In contrast, there were three technical fouls called in the boys game.

Now being honest…

The girls made plenty of mistakes in Friday night’s slightly chaotic affair.

Lake City’s excellent press was bound to force some turnovers, but the T-Wolves were often guilty of unusual errors themselves.

It was hardly a crisp evening of basketball.

But when a bad pass sailed out of bounds, nobody pouted or grimaced. They just got on with the game.

There’s something neat about that.

It sounds silly, but these girls play ball the way I did as a kid — the way so many of you did, too.

The game is supposed to be fun, and they get it.

Steve Cameron’s sports columns for The Press appear on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He also contributes the “Zags Tracker” package on Gonzaga basketball each Tuesday.

Facebook: Steve Cameron

Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA

Email: scameron@cdapress.com