BonnerSprings.com

Forget the seedings, the Mill Valley boys weren't the on-paper favorites to win their Class 5A substate semifinal game against defending state champion Bishop Miege even though the Jaguars had home-court advantage.

In that same breath, the lower-seeded Shawnee Mission Northwest girls were understandably the underdogs entering their Class 6A semifinal game Thursday at Blue Valley North.

Still, that did little to change the fact that both squads expected to win, and both squads expected to ultimately advance to state.

Both teams set the expectation level high and spent the entire season working toward that goal.

Close losses against top-tier competition, as well as some quality victories, marked the teams' paths to the postseason. Both looked dangerous.

The Mill Valley boys gave Miege a heck of a battle, leading for most of the first half and taking the Stags to the wire before losing, 49-44.

Mill Valley went 12-9 this season, but the Jaguars definitely laid the groundwork for a strong resurgence on the hardwood.

For Shawnee Mission Northwest's girls, substate was a bit more heartbreaking. The Cougars gave North a serious challenge, leading by nine points at halftime and then forcing overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by junior Jessica Johnson — a three-year starter at point guard.

Postseason basketball can be cruel, however, and it certainly was for the Cougars. Leading by a point with 0:00.4 to go in overtime, North inbounded the ball and swished a Hail-Mary 3-pointer for a 58-56 victory.

It was a cruel way to lose a game, but if there's any team that can handle it the right way it's the Northwest girls. The Cougars have worked their tails off for the past three years — the first two under coach Brian McIntosh and this season under first-year coach Jeff Dickson — to build from a two-win club to a program to be reckoned with. A 7-14 record might not turn a lot of heads, but the Cougars were oh-so-close to double-digit wins this season. They were even closer to a postseason victory. They'll return the full roster next year, and between now and next year you can be certain the Cougars will use this substate loss as fuel for their fire.