jhancock@journalnet.com

If there was any bit of wisdom or teaching that Scott Hansen wanted to impart upon the Highland girls' basketball team during the past week, it's that the 23-0 Rams are about to face their toughest battles of the season, and they have to remain true to what has gotten them to this point.

Many on this year's team have state tournament experience. Of Highland's starters, four held the same role a year ago when the Rams lost the consolation championship game to Centennial.

At Tuesday's practice, Hansen again reminded an excited, at times jovial, group of girls that there is still business ahead.

"Let's don't get so overly exhilarated that we don't practice the way we're supposed to," Hansen told the girls. "Let's stay focused."

Hansen said he has kept much of the broad instruction about remaining focused on the prize ahead to a minimum.

"They've been pretty good about (remaining focused) themselves," Hansen said. "I've let them know simply that we have to stay with fundamentals. If we start doing things we haven't done all season, it's simply going to create bad habits."

The Rams' start their 5A state tournament run today against Boise at 3 p.m. at the Idaho Center in Nampa.

As has been the case all season, defense is the key to Highland thriving at state.

"When you get to better opponents, playing good defense will keep you in the game because you are probably also going to be up against good defenses," Hansen said.

Senior guard Kylie Hardison said that during her four years playing at Highland, this is one of the most close-knit teams she has been part of. She believes the closeness plays a role in the team's success.

"We all really click," she said. "We are all here to lift one another up."

Because she's at the close of her high school career, Hardison said she wants this title more than any she has persued before, and she believes the Rams have a good shot at bringing a state championship home.

But should the Rams fall short, she's not ready to call it a total loss.

"It's definitely not a failed season," Hardison said. "We have improved a lot and gotten better."

As practice continued and the Rams were running different defensive schemes they expect to see from Boise today, Hansen was again talking about defense and the other things Highland needs to bring to the tournament to come home champions.

"We have to play good defense, stay out of foul trouble and keep our turnovers down," the coach finally summed it up. "We can't control our opponent, but we can control what we do."