YAKIMA – Davis coach Akil White already was certain that powers were aligning against the defending Class 4A state champions.

Drawing 2025 runner-up Sumner, the last in-state team to beat the top-seeded Pirates, in the round of 16 offered evidence.

And seconds into the second quarter when reigning Player of the Year Cheyenne Hull was tagged with her third foul, one of which a questionable charge call and another that likely should’ve been assessed to a teammate, White’s suspicions only gained momentum.

No matter.

When it seemed the Spartans – and all others conspiring against Davis, imagined or otherwise – were going to have their way, the Pirates delivered a collective, ‘we gotcha, coach.’

Isa Garcia drilled six of Davis’ 11 3-pointers en route to 32 points, and Davis smothered Sumner, forcing 19 turnovers in a 73-48 victory Saturday night in an opening-round game at the Pirate Ship.

The Pirates advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals for the third straight year, where they’ll face the winner of Wednesday’s play-in between 10th-seeded Lake Stevens and No. 7 Bothell.

Leading up to Saturday’s game, the fifth in three years between the two teams, White worked his conspiracies into drills, pulling one starter to simulate the foul trouble they’ve encountered along the way.

It paid off Saturday.

Davis led by just a point 23 seconds into the second quarter when Hull was hit with her third foul, although it appeared to be committed by Deets Parrish.

The Pirates responded with a 19-6 run to close the half, and the rout was on.

“They just did a great job of picking each other up, playing together and rallying together,” White said.

Hull’s frustrating night continued a few minutes into the third quarter with foul number four. The call led to assistant coach Shag Williams stepping between White and the official who whistled the foul.

But, again, it didn’t disrupt the Pirates flow.

“We all have a lot of trust and faith in each other, and we know each other’s game,” Garcia said.

Kobe Johnson scored 10 points for the Pirates (21-2), and shouldered much of the defensive effort to limit SPSL  North MVP to 15 points.

Ella Craig scored six points in her last game on Davis’ home floor, and ate up minutes until White put Hull back on the court.

“A lot of these guys think production is points, and getting their hands on the ball,” White said. “Minutes, that’s production.”

Raymiah Jackson added 13 points for the Spartans (24-4), who meet No. 9 Auburn on Wednesday.

Sumner joined fourth-seeded Woodinville and No. 3 Chiawana as contenders in Wednesday’s loser-out contests. The two upsets and Davis’ rout have reshaped the bracket.

“We did not like the seed, we thought they were really, really good,” White said. “So we felt like, ‘OK, you’re going to do this to us? You’ve got our attention.’”