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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.
They are now the final true State B champions and the first State 2B champions. Once again, they did it with their bread-and-butter defense.
Lightning almost struck twice at the Arena for the second year in a row, but Lexi Belcher wasn't going to allow it to happen.
For Sunday, March 04, 2007.
For Sunday, March 04, 2007.
It wasn't pretty, but it was enough for Northwest Christian, anyway.The Crusaders of Colbert are bound for the state title game again after defeating Darrington 48-39 in the late semifinal Friday night at the boys State 2B basketball tournament at the Arena.
After months of blood, sweat and tears, the girls State 2B basketball tournament championship game is set.
For Saturday, March 03, 2007.
For Saturday, March 03, 2007.
When a team's top three scorers are held to less than their season averages, winning isn't the likely outcome.
Republic overcame 22-for-73 (30 percent) shooting from the field and pulled away in the fourth quarter to take down the St. George's 58-44.
Napavine's Blake Anthony wasn't about to let this game slip through his hands.
For Friday, March 02, 2007.
The Northwest Christian and Republic boys have taken their first step toward a state title game rematch.
In 2005, Mossyrock's then-sophomore Lexi Belcher scored 32 points on a 9-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc in a state tournament game, as the Vikings defeated Garfield-Palouse.
Reardan 51, North Beach 31
Jen Christerson recorded a double-double and Reardan used timely 3-point shooting and a stifling defense to beat North Beach 51-31 in the opening game of the tournament.
Junior Chris Pynch and senior Ryan Van Beek finished with 14 points apiece as the Crusaders blew off an early Napavine lead to win their tournament opener.
Not long ago, a parent brought out an old photograph of Derek Gianukakis' sixth-grade AAU championship basketball team.
The brackets have been posted and it's officially time for state B, part two.It's sure going to seem strange without the Whitman County schools in Spokane for this week's state 2B tournament, which begins Wednesday at the Arena.
The distance between the two end lines on a basketball court at the Arena is 94 feet. That's exactly how far La Salle head coach Todd Kent's girls pressure the opposing offense, but that 94 feet starts to seem much longer if the offense can't break through easily.
He acknowledged the clichι, but Northwest Christian's Karl Richardson added a team-specific twist. "Defense wins championships," he said after NWC beat Republic 54-48 in the boys State B basketball championship at the Arena.
There's a theory that fifth place might be the second-toughest trophy to get besides first, because it takes winning three straight loser-out games while dealing with the disappointment of that first-round loss.
The sight of Gonzaga's Derek Raivio and David Pendergraft signing autographs at the Arena this weekend was happy proof that, yes, this town was big enough for both the State B and the West Coast Conference Tournament.
Sprague-Harrington's top-ranked girls basketball team had rebounded well from its first-round loss to Sunnyside Christian with a pair of routs in consolation play, poised to take fifth place in Saturday's matchup with Toutle Lake.
There wasn't much aesthetically pleasing about Northwest Christian's physical 35-31 semifinal win over Moses Lake Christian. All notions of basketball beauty aside, you can't help but be impressed with the way NWC's ground its way into the championship game without shooting better than 37 percent once in three games.
Mossyrock head coach Gary Stamper knew he was in for a physical game when his Vikings lined up to play La Salle for the second straight year in the State B tournament.
It wasn't how anyone wants it to end, walking off the court with a loss in their final game. For Wilbur-Creston head coach Tom Johnson, his final game came much later than anyone could have expected.
As they went into the fourth quarter, Morton appeared just a couple of baskets away from being in position to pull a huge semifinal upset.
On Thursday, Republic missed a handful of free throws down the stretch and had to sweat out a victory. On Friday, Derek Gianukakis made sure the Tigers would have nothing to worry about.
Many teams participating in the girls State B Basketball Tournament have recent experience at the state level. This is not the case for St.
Although they were threatening post-peach basket records for scoring futility, it wasn't because Sunnyside Christian and Northwest Christian were playing poorly offensively. The defense was just that good.
Many teams participating in the girls State B Basketball Tournament have recent experience at the state level to rely on when trying to pick up a win.
When two rivals square off as many times as La Salle and Sunnyside Christian's girls basketball teams, players and coaches alike know what to expect.
Most people don't understand how the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association really works. In a lot of ways, it is democracy in action. The WIAA is an association of member schools.
It was an important point to make, one that occasionally gets lost in points and wins and losses. After St. John-Endicott head coach Mike Tollett watched his team lose a heartbreaking first-round game on a blown 3-point call at the buzzer, he gathered his team in the locker room.
In the end, it was just about survival. Riding the top-10 performance of Zach Gianukakis, Republic overcame a late Toutle Lake rally and free-throw woes the Tigers made just 3 of 12 free throws down the stretch to knock off the Ducks 66-56 in the first round of the boys State B Tournament Wednesday at the Spokane Arena.
Youth was served during the opening round of the girls State B basketball tournament, as a group of underclassmen led their respective teams to victory during Wednesday's early session at the Arena.
The week of the B Tournament is an unofficial holiday at many of our state's smaller high schools. But, concerned as we are with the education of our youth, we don't think they should get away without at least one assignment.
Sunnyside Christian had a nothing-to-lose mentality heading into Wednesday's first-round State B basketball game against undefeated and top-ranked Sprague-Harrington at the Spokane Arena. "We had two choices," junior guard Tori Van Wingerden said, "we could either roll over and die, say we were supposed to lose, or we could just work hard and try to make headlines."
It was nearly a carbon copy of last year's semifinals same teams, same intensity and Northwest Christian center Karl Richardson was again limited to one solid half of basketball because of foul trouble.
It's a good thing Tekoa-Oakesdale doesn't put last names on the backs of their jerseys. People might get confused. As the announcer read the names of the Nighthawks starting lineup during Wednesday's matchup against Lummi, he introduced Austin, Casey and Kelly Cook all brothers, all starters, and all of them hoping to bring a bit of glory back to their small farm town in the Palouse.
» Complete State B coverage
If this is the last State B Tournament and it is, in feel if not fact then it's something of a comfort to know there's a Bannish in it.
Scott Middleton knows that teenagers, basketball and pizza are a winning combination. As general manager of Centerplate,the concession company for the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Middleton helped create a menu for the 36,000 people expected to attend the State B basketball championships this week.
It's safe to say Hank Coplen knows his way around the State B tournament. Sixty years after getting his start as a scorekeeper, P. A.
Before there was Jennifer Stinson, before there was Lance Den Boer, before there was equality for girls high school basketball, there was Tammy Tibbles. Her Creston teams battled Aileen McManus' Reardan teams in the State B title game three consecutive years from 1981 to '83.
Changes were made in the brackets for the State B tournament after the first draw. This was "to better reflect the draw criteria," said Darin Hanson, WIAA director of marketing and media relations.
After Sunday morning's final State B draw, it became apparent the only real benefit to winning a district championship is the chance to cut down nets.
There were no complaints about the draw by coaches of three Greater Spokane League 3A state basketball qualifiers, other than its 4 p.m. scheduled time.
The draw for any state basketball tournament is a lot like Thanksgiving at Gramma's house. Most are there just to catch up with people they haven't seen in a while before moving on to gorging themselves on the main course.
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