The comeback for Aasland is complete. And it felt like old times, too, as she delivers on the boards to help her team secure a win

And it didn’t help that the COVID-19 pandemic helped to slow things down a bit, as that limited her practice and game opportunities until now. She completed her comeback last night wearing the uniform of her Amateur Athletic Union select team, the Team LaVine Karim, as they opened play in the End of the Trail Gem State Classic in Middleton, ID, just outside of Caldwell in the southwest part of the state.

Things went fairly well, too, for Aasland, as she finished with two points and a game-high 11 rebounds aiding the Preston-based LaVine ladies to a nice 57-39 win over the Oregon-based Three Peaks 17U Black. On Twitter, Aasland expressed relief her long road to recovery has finally come to a successful conclusion. “It felt great getting my first game in! No pain in my knee, just got to get my basketball legs again,” Aasland wrote.

We watched some of this game online and can tell you she moved fairly well and didn’t appear too concerned about battling for balls and working for rebounds in the contest, so it seems it’s back to normal for Aasland, who is using this weekend tournament to show colleges she has fully recovered from the injury. And from first impressions, it appears she is on the road to doing just that.

Aasland’s Mount Si teammate Grace Turley also played for LaVine in the contest and chipped in five points, four rebounds and a steal. LaVine was led by the game-high 24 from Seattle Prep’s Molly Moffitt.

LaVine goes at 10am this morning our time against an Idaho team. We’ll be monitoring it for you today.

In other action last night at the event:

Team LaVine Ariel rolls over Tacoma-area team: Karim’s crew was not the only LaVine-affiliated squad to start out strong in the event last night. LaVine’s Ariel entry made short work of Gig Harbor-based Total Package, blasting the Pierce County ladies 66-25.

Mount Si sophomore Indi Edwards played for Ariel in the game and had a solid seven points, three rebounds and three assists as Ariel shot better than 50% from the floor as a team and out-rebounded TP 28-21. Eastlake’s Tatum Wood had a game-high 27 on a strong 13-17 from the floor leading the Ariel crew.

Ariel has back-to-back games today – first at 9 this morning our time against an Idaho team, then right afterward against the eastern Washington-based Northwest Express Chaos, who as we mentioned yesterday features Royal senior Raylie Wardenaar, someone likely familiar to Mount Si’s new AD Chris Hill, who came to Mount Si after handling those same duties last school year at Royal, in Royal City in Grant County.

LaVine Marr’s defense shuts down opposition: The LaVine squad being coached by Mount Si head coach Jason Marr put on a defensive clinic in their opener last night, holding opposing Hoops 2025 from eastern Oregon to just one first-half point enroute to a 31-7 blowout. They are underway as of this writing this morning taking on an Idaho team.

Friends of Hoop rolls: The Seattle-based FoH ninth-grade team, with Wildcat Ella Spurlock, took care of business, rolling to a 55-13 win over ToH Idaho’s 16U team based out of Boise. Stats are not available for this one. They will play two later this afternoon into this evening.

Other teams of note: Bothell’s Way to Win Bronze, with Inglemoor’s Dulcy Solomon, posted a win last night, while the night was mixed for the three teams representing Renton’s Liberty High School. The Patriots’ “junior varsity” level team won their game, while their “varsity” level squad and one featuring elementary-aged players from LHS’ feeder travel youth basketball program both fell. All of those teams will be in action today.

Good stuff for sure and we’ll keep you posted on how things.