Free daily coverage from the newspaper.
Get stories via RSS
The new kid on the block had a reputation. She backed it up Saturday night. Colfax, which had 16 trophies in 20 previous appearances in the State 1A girls basketball tournament, made its 2B debut a successful one, rolling past Napavine 56-35 in the championship game Saturday night at the Arena.
If would seem like there should be a certain amount of pressure that comes with being the cover subject on a state tournament program.
Full-court, full-time.The pressure started at the opening tip of Napavine's 52-42 win over La Salle in the first semifinal game of the State 2B girls basketball tournament at the Arena Friday and didn't end until Colfax dispatched White Pass 54-33 in the second.
Liberty Chr. 52, Quilcene 34
Senior Mark Wilson led Liberty Christian with 19 points and senior Joey Lane added 10 as the Patriots beat Quilcene to advance to the fifth-place game.
Bi-County League fans ended up with the title game of their dreams Friday night when conference rivals Northwest Christian and Davenport both posted semifinal-round wins at the Arena to advance to tonight's championship showdown of the State 2B boys basketball championship.
Pomeroy 60, Entiat 53
Taelor Braun scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Pomeroy, paving the way for a trophy finish today for the first time in school history. The Pirates will play Orcas Island for fifth and eighth places.
Defending state champion? Check.Runner-up, now top-ranked and undefeated? Check.Drop-down team that bullied foes at the higher level? Check.
If school administrators did indeed fix what wasn't broken when they split the State B basketball tournament in half, just wait until they try to reconstruct Humpty Dumpty.
Coaches are constantly preaching about playing one game at a time.But when the elephant in the corner of the room is an unbeaten three-time defending state champion, it can be almost impossible to ignore. That's true, even if it's not your most immediate challenge – and especially when that elephant has already stomped on you four times.
Sometimes, when a program from a small high school goes more than two decades between appearances in the state tournament, first-hand advice on what to expect once you finally make it back can be hard to find.
Kim Gahan, the wife of Summit High School coach Jay Gahan, was waiting anxiously outside the Invaders' team room following Wednesday morning's 49-46 loss to Adna in the opening round of the State 2B boys basketball championship at the Arena.
Even though the State 1B basketball tournament was last week in Yakima, the Garfield-Palouse girls still considered themselves a defending state champion entering the State 2B tournament.
So what would "Hoosiers" look like set in 2009?Well, in 50-plus years, basketball has evolved into a "city" game, so it has to have an urban setting, and yet the school must still be small, overlooked, an underdog. The basketball team isn't necessarily the social focal point anymore and academics are no longer simply the three traditional R's, so hoops must compete for a kid's attention with the steel band and drama. Instead of Myra Fleener looking after Jimmy Chitwood, there's a family support worker on staff. Economic pressures are blowing up budgets, so perhaps the school is being closed by a cold-hearted board of education. Naturally, to round out the plot the basketball team has to endure its own adversity – say a 1-7 start to the season, and come February it dawns on the players that each game could be their last.
Last year's loss to Garfield-Palouse in the State 1B girls basketball tournament stung Colton, which had finished first in league over the Vikings in the regular season.
Corey Baerlocher has known nothing but success since taking over the girls basketball program at Colfax after the 2002 season.
Northwest Christian starts after its fourth-straight State 2B boys basketball championship and sixth straight state trophy at 4 p.m. Wednesday when the tournament opens at the Spokane Arena.
TACOMA – Lewis and Clark's girls basketball team had no one average double figures in scoring or rebounding during its four-day stay at the State 4A tournament.
La Salle's pursuit of a perfect season ended in the best way possible on Saturday night – with a state championship at the State 2B girls basketball tournament.
Bear Creek 60, Wellpinit 52
Ryan Strandin scored six of his eight points in an up-tempo final quarter to lead the Grizzlies to a win over Wellpinit in the battle for the fifth-place trophy.
Shoreline Chr. 47, Tac. Baptist 38
Shoreline Christian used a strong second quarter to pull away from Tacoma Baptist and held on to the lead in the second half for a fifth-place victory.
The La Salle girls basketball team has become accustomed to playing for a state championship, seeing as how they've made it to the finals of the State 2B tournament the past two years.
If Spokane has discovered anything in hosting little school tournament basketball for 51 years, it's that there are no loose threads – whether the event is the B, the 2B or not to be quite the same ever again.
The undefeated and the defending champion will collide tonight as the Toutle Lake Ducks look to punctuate their perfect season with a championship and the Northwest Christian Crusaders vie for a third consecutive state crown.
Wellpinit 54, NWC (Lacey) 46
The Redskins scored a shot at a trophy despite scoring only four points in the third quarter and committing 20 turnovers.
Tac. Baptist 52, Pomeroy 45
Amber Finley scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the second half and the Crusaders survived a late Pirates run.
The stories, no matter how often told or precise the details, can't duplicate the experience.
The Northwest Christian boys are well on their way in their quest for their third straight state title.
The St. George's girls basketball team knew if it was to defeat White Pass in the quarterfinals of the State 2B tournament Thursday, then Breanna Moody would need to be controlled.
For Friday, February 29, 2008.
For Friday, February 29, 2008.
The spotlight from the NCAA men's basketball tournament has nothing on the bright lights from a high school state tournament.
Basketball, we've been told, is not brain surgery.The fan part of basketball, well, that can be another thing altogether.
Lind-Ritzville got an early scare from the Seattle Lutheran Saints Wednesday night in a first-round State 2B tournament game at the Spokane Arena.
As Wahkiakum senior Kyle Benson stepped up to the free-throw line at the end of the first quarter, he thought he wasn't going to make the shots.
For Thursday, February 28, 2008.
For Thursday, February 28, 2008.
Even if it was as simple as a son following in his father's footsteps, the coaching staff for the Liberty girls at the State 2B basketball tournament would be interesting.
Last March the Northwest Christian boys basketball team made history when it won its second straight state title – becoming the last true State B champions in 2006 and winning the inaugural State 2B tournament in 2007.
For Wednesday, February 27, 2008.
The Northwest Christian boys basketball team continued its quest toward a third consecutive state title in winning fashion on Saturday.
St. George's doubled its pleasure in the Eastern 2B Bi-District playoffs Monday night, qualifying both its boys and girls teams for the State 2B tournament in Spokane beginning Feb. 27.
Northwest Christian continued its drive for a third consecutive state championship Saturday as it knocked off the St. George's Dragons 59-48 in the District 7 2B playoffs at Spokane Falls Community College.
Lind-Ritzville's Katlin Fowles wouldn't let Liberty pull off another thrilling victory in the District 7 2B tournament at Spokane Falls Community College.
St. George's and Northwest Christian advanced to the regional tournament with District 7 2B victories Thursday at Spokane Falls Community College.
Hayley Hendricksen scored 19 points and Brianna Bailey added 12 to lead Northwest Christian to a 56-51 win over Liberty in the first round of the District 7 2B tournament Tuesday at Spokane Falls Community College.
Talk to us: Have a question or comment? Let us know!
