Playing aggressive basketball every single quarter will be a vital part of the game plan for Newport’s girls as they enter the next phase of the 4A Wes-King District Tournament, according to junior Charlee Arthur.

The Knights (14-10) will get another crack at Issaquah tonight in a loser-out game at 5:30 p.m. at Lynnwood High. Issaquah won both meetings against the Knights this season.

In the first stages of the tournament on Feb. 14-15, Newport beat Jackson, 58-39, and lost to Inglemoor, 59-50.

“It kind of has come down to defense. In practice, our biggest thing has been if we can play good defense, it’s gonna make them score less. (That’s key) if we’re having a rough offensive night,” said Arthur, a 5-foot-10 guard/wing, who scored 15 points against Inglemoor. Senior guard Eva Richards had 12 points and sophomore 6-foot-1 center Allie Harrison had 10.

Arthur said they had a rough night against Inglemoor for a while, but they bounced back into the game. The close team stuck together and picked each other up. The Knights have played hard all year, Arthur added, referencing a 10-point loser-out victory over North Creek in the 4A KingCo Tournament after falling to North Creek by 14 earlier in the season.

“Learning from our mistakes and getting on to the next” is a crucial component for Newport, Arthur said.

Basketball and life intertwine along the way on the girls’ non-stop journey from league play to postseason tournaments.

“It’s kind of a long season, so you have to tough it out,” Arthur added. “So I think in life, it’s like, keep working hard no matter what, even when you’re tired. Still show up, still do everything that you need to do, because we’re all tired, but if we can all keep pushing, the team that can push the hardest is gonna come out on top.”