Basketball News
Grays Harbor men's basketball coach Swanson departs for NCAA Aberdeen, WA - George Swanson has stepped down as the head men's basketball coach at Grays Harbor College. He has taken a job as the top assistant basketball coach at NCAA Div. III, Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene Texas. "We're happy for George to get this opportunity to move up in the college ranks. Getting a full time job will be a better situation for both himself and his family," said GHC Athletic Director Ken Waite. "At this late in the year, it kind of puts us behind the eight ball trying to find a coach. We are looking at several possibilities for a replacement for George. We'll be looking at local coaches, both active and retired to see if they can help us on an interim basis this year. We'll be opening the job it up to see what kind of bites we get there also. Everything is up in the air right now, but we will get the best replacement we can for the circumstances we're dealing with."
August 27, 2008
Joan Armstrong passes away Legendary coach Joan Armstrong who fostered excellence and character in thousands of young athletes at Skagit Valley College and other area schools died Aug. 5, 2008. She was 71. Joan was inducted into the NWAACC Hall of Fame in 2001. She was a physical education teacher, coach and NWAACC commissioner at Skagit Valley where she served for 37 years. Current Skagit Valley Athletic Director Gary Knutzen said Armstrong "has been referred to by many as the founder of community college athletics in Washington." Recently, the tennis courts at Skagit Valley were named in honor of her dedicated service to the school. A vigil, and mass in Joan's name will be held on Friday, Aug. 8th at 9pm (vigil) and Saturday, Aug 9th (mass) at 10 a.m. Both ceremonies will take place at Sacred Heart Church in Bellingham. Read about Joan Armstrong on goskagit.com
You may share your thoughts and memories of Joan in the online memorial guest book at www.molesfuneral homes.com.
August 08, 2008
Freshour takes charges of Chemeketa Women's Basketball Salem, OR - Lynn Freshour recently joined Chemeketa Community College as its new women's basketball coach. Freshour most recently served as athletic director at North Salem High School, but the chance to return to coaching was too tempting to pass up. "Coaching at the college level has always been a dream of mine," said Freshour. "It's also an exciting time to be part of Chemeketa as we head in new directions under President Cheryl Roberts." Athletic scholarships provided by Chemeketa should help attract some of the area's top talent, and Freshour sees talent as key to his plans. "I want to build a Chemeketa dynasty within the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges," he said. "The high schools in our area produce fantastic players who have the skill to take Chemeketa to the top of the division." Freshour is a former coach of girls basketball teams at North Salem and West Salem high schools. As head coach at Amity High School, Freshour led nine girls basketball teams to the state tournament. Cassie Belmodis, Chemeketa athletic director, is eager to see Freshour's vision come to life on the court. "He brings an excitement and passion to the game of basketball that we are sure, will carry over to the women's basketball program. His years of success and experience as a coach, athletic director, and involvement in community sports will be an asset to his team and the Storm Athletic Department," she said. For more information about the women's basketball program, contact Freshour at 503-399-5053, or Cassie Belmodis at 503.399.5159 or cassieb@chemeketa.edu.
August 06, 2008
Collier to lead PCC Panther Hoops in 2008-09
August 04, 2008
Portland, OR - Portland Community College has appointed Kevin Collier as the interim Head
Coach for the PCC Men's Basketball team. The appointment came after recent
resignation of Head Coach Wayne Mendezona, who has taken the head coaching
position at the Muharraq Club in Bahrain. Collier, who is thirty five years
old, is heading into his fourth year of collegiate coaching where he has
served as an Assistant Coach during the previous three seasons at PCC.
Coach Collier is optimistic about leading the Panthers into the 2008-09
season after a 4-26 record last year. Coach Collier's vision and
expectations are to turn PCC's team into an immediate winner. He Credits
Coach Mendezona for being an excellent mentor and coach. He further states that the influence of Mendezona has definitely prepared him for
success in this position. Coach Collier's main points of emphasis are
academic excellence, playing hard, playing smart, and having fun!
NWAACC Summer In-Service set for August Vancouver, WA - The Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges will be hosting an in-service for administrators and coaches at the beginning of August in Olympia, WA. The in-service will include a speech by Pacific Lutheran University's head men's basketball coach Steve Dickerson. Meeting presentations will include All coaches and administrator are encouraged to attend. For more information about the event and how to register, download the brochure.
June 26, 2008
Guerra takes reins of Linn-Benton Women's Basketball Coach Guerra has been the Head Varsity Coach for the Lakeview High School Girls Basketball team for the last 3 years. Her first year coaching record was 18-6 and 2nd round play-offs. Second year saw a record of 12-12 and 2nd round play-offs. In her third year, Teresa coached her team to a 14-13 record and made an appearance at the 2A State Tournament. Teresa herself played Junior College basketball for 2 years in California – one year at De Anza Junior College and 1 year at Foothill Junior College. Teresa took her own playing career to the next level when she played 1 year at Eastern Oregon University. Teresa earned a Masters of Teacher Education from Eastern Oregon University and a Bachelor of Science, Physical Education/Health from Eastern Oregon University. Teresa was previously employed as a Physical Education Teacher for grades 7-12 at Lakeview High School, Oregon.
June 05, 2008
Albany, OR - The Linn-Benton Community College's athletic department is pleased to announce the appointment of Teresa Guerra as the Head Women's Basketball Coach.
Stewart returns to head Peninsula Women's Basketball Port Angeles, WA - Julie Stewart returns to the helm where she directed the Pirates to the only North Division women's basketball championship in school history. Stewart, who coached at Peninsula from 2003-2005 before stepping down to be home with her young children, was named women's basketball head coach, as announced by Athletic Director Rick Ross. "Julie is a great basketball coach, and a great mom, and we're very pleased she worked out a plan to do both," Ross said. "We're lucky to have her back." Stewart said she carefully weighed the impact on her family vs. her love of the game of basketball in making her decision. "Although my decision was made in a week's time it was done with thoughtful consideration," she said. "I love coaching basketball and it has become a lifestyle for my family. Being a college student-athlete is an exciting time for these young ladies and I look forward to being the head coach for the Peninsula Pirate Women." Stewart's Pirates went 13-12 her first year as head coach in 2003-04 and then went 21-10, 12-4 in conference play, to win the North Division championship her second year. It was a memorable night in Peninsula College history when she was at one end of the gym, cutting down the net with her players, while her husband Peter and his players were at the other end, cutting down the other net, in celebration of a conference championship of their own. She returns to the Pirate helm with six years of high school, collegiate and professional coaching experience and nine years of experience running basketball camps and clinics in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Malaysia and China. A basketball and track and field standout at the University of North Dakota from 1986-1991, Stewart has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Stewart replaces Tiffany Darling, who coached the Pirates through two seasons before resigning in March. In addition to coaching basketball, Stewart will teach part time.
June 03, 2008
Brent Hermanson takes helm of Bellevue Women's Basketball For the second time in as many years, the BCC Women's Basketball program will be headed up by a former assistant coach. Athletic Director Bill O'Connor named Brent Hermanson, an assistant coach last season, as the successor to Steve Lowe, who has stepped down to pursue a coaching opportunity at NCAA Division II Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. Lowe described his decision to leave BCC as "bittersweet", stating that "On one hand I'm very sad to leave Bellevue and the friends I've made here. On the other hand, I'm getting a chance to coach at a four year institution. Coach Tom Webb and Cameron University have given me an opportunity to do something that I'm truly passionate about; coaching the game of basketball full time." Lowe took the reins at Bellevue in June of 2007, replacing Cheryl Sorenson who moved on to take an assistant coaching position at NCAA Division I Eastern Washington University. As an assistant under Sorenson from 2004-2007, he helped accomplish a remarkable turnaround, taking the team from 4-22 record in their first season to the best season in school history with a 26-5 overall record in 2006-2007, and a runner-up finish at the NWAACC Championships. Last season, BCC finished 18-13 overall, 12-4 in the Northern Region, and qualified for the NWAACC tournament for the third year in a row. "I want to thank Bellevue Community College, the athletic department, and everyone that played for the women's program during my time" he said. "I've met a lot of great people during my tenure here and I have nothing but great memories." O'Connor did not have to look far in finding a replacement for Lowe, naming Hermanson head coach after his first season as an assistant at BCC. "We have had outstanding coaches, but also two coaching changes in two years" said O'Connor. "I am excited to be able to turn to a quality individual such as Brent, who will add a measure of stability to the program and will continue our recent tradition of having excellent coaches in Women's Basketball." In his first act as Head Coach, Hermanson has announced a pair of adjustments to the coaching staff. Paulette Martin, an assistant on last year's team alongside Hermanson, has been named as Associate Head Coach, and Dan Toblin has been promoted from Strength and Conditioning Coach to an Assistant Coach position. "It was important to continue to build on what Coach Lowe started, so retaining the coaching staff was a critical step" said Hermanson. "Bellevue has consistently competed at a high level in the NWAACC and with the recruiting class that has been assembled by Coach Lowe for the 2008-2009 season, I expect to continue the tradition of excellence that has been established within the Women's Basketball program." Hermanson has been a mainstay in the girls' youth basketball circuit over the last 10 years, having worked with both the Redmond Select and Flight AAU basketball programs. Last year was his first season coaching in the college ranks. "I am extremely excited for the opportunity to coach at Bellevue Community College" he said. "I believe we will compete again this year to win the Northern Region, and return to the NWAACC Tournament."
May 30, 2008
Schooler takes reins of Edmonds women's basketball program Edmonds Community College has named Jennifer Schooler as the new head women's basketball coach and Trisha Terhar as the lead assistant coach. Both coaches achieved academic goals while playing college basketball and aim to share that experience with players. Schooler has played point-guard at both the community college and collegiate level at Wenatchee Valley College from 1998-2000 and then on scholarship at the University of Idaho from 2000-2002. She holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Idaho and a Master's in education and technology. She is currently working toward a second Master's in sports psychology. Previously, Jennifer coached at Deer Park High School and was an assistant at Evergreen State College. As head coach she will focus on encouraging hard work and creating a strong team experience for student-athletes. "Athletes are students first," Schooler said. "The great thing about basketball for me was that it paid for my education. I want Edmonds Community College to be a pathway for student-athletes to get a great education that prepares them to further their education." Terhar joins Schooler as assistant coach. She is an Edmonds Community College alumna who played on the basketball team in 2004-05 when the team went to the playoffs. She then played at Pacific University from 2005-2007 where she earned her bachelor's degree in Sociology and made the Northwest Conference All-Academic team and the All-Tournament team at Menlo College Thanksgiving Classic.
May 13, 2008
NMHU Names Tiffany Darling New Head Women's Basketball Coach New Mexico Highlands University is pleased to announce that Tiffany Darling is their new Women's Basketball Coach. Darling accepted the position earlier this week and is set to begin her first day of work at Highlands on June 2.
Darling, 29, comes to NMHU from Peninsula College, a junior college in Port Angeles, Wash. In two seasons at Peninsula, Darling compiled a 24-26 record, including a 15-17 record in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges. Read More...
May 13, 2008
Grays Harbor announces new women's basketball coach Grays Harbor College names Derrick Pringle as their new Head Women's Basketball coach. Pringle comes to the harbor with many years of coaching basketball, at all levels. He's coached at Timberline, River Ridge, Chief Leschi and Northwest Christian High Schools. Pringle has also coached several area AAU teams from the Thurston County area. He is already familiar with the NWAACC. He earned his Associate's Degree from Pierce College in Tacoma and was an assistant basketball coach at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia. Pringle earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia. Before taking this job, he was an assistant coach for The Evergreen State College women's basketball team.
April 28, 2008
Coaching Legend Carl Howell Returns to TCC Men's Basketball Team Carl Howell is resuming leadership of the Tacoma Community College men's basketball team as head coach while retaining his position as Athletic Director. Head of the TCC men's basketball program from 1992-2003, Coach Howell retains the title of TCC's all-time most winning basketball coach. While leading the Titans to a 239-82 record, Howell sustained a 74.5 winning percentage over 11 years. In addition the Titans were 138-26 ( 84.1%) in Howell’s last five seasons. He coached the Titans to four straight NWAACC (Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges) Western Regional Championships (1999-2002), and led TCC to the NWAACC championship game in 2001 and 2002, winning the NWAACC Championship in 2002. Howell is only the third coach in NWAACC history to achieve four straight regional titles and have two thirty-win seasons. Fifteen of Coach Howell's players from TCC teams have advanced to Division I basketball programs. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Howell was once named Coach of the Year by the NWAACC. He also achieved recognition as Western Region Coach of the Year four times, and served five times as Head Coach of the NWAACC All-Star Game. Howell returned to TCC as Athletic Director in 2007 after four seasons as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Eastern Washington University, where the Eagles advanced to the NCAA tournament in the first year of his leadership. As men's basketball coach he replaces Arvin Mosley, who resigned on February 26th to pursue other opportunities. Mosley coached the Titans from 2003-2008, and compiled a record of 46-88 . TCC looks forward to a dynamic and successful men's basketball program under Howell's direction, while the athletic department continues to thrive under his leadership as athletic director. "I'm really excited to again be the men's basketball coach at TCC," said Howell. Dave Pelkey, Dean of International Student Services and Programs, believes that Howell will provide strong leadership for the men's basketball program. "Carl has a demonstrated history as a coach at TCC, and we believe the program is in good hands. We look forward to having Coach Howell back on the court representing TCC," said Pelkey.
April 07, 2008
Burns and Holden named basketball coaches of the year In his first year the helm of the men's basketball program at Community Colleges of Spokane, Mike Burns built a dominating team that was ranked number one in the NWAACC Coaches Poll for the entire 2007-08 season. The Spokane Sasquatch won 30 games during the season and ended the regular season with one loss. The Sasquatch were a perfect 14-0, winning the Eastern Region title by four games. The Hawks dominated their opponents all season long with tough defense and solid execution on offense. CBC ended the season with a 28-3 record.
April 03, 2008
NWAACC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
Mike Burns, Spokane
Spokane Head Coach Mike Burns has been voted the NWAAACC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.
NWAACC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year
Cheryl Holden, Columbia Basin
Columbia Basin Head Coach Cheryl Holden put together a squad that was perfect in Eastern Region play and was ranked number for much of the year and won their second NWAACC Championship in four years.
Butch Estes announced as new men's basketball coach at Shoreline Estes graduated from the University of North Carolina, where he played freshman basketball and was a student assistant coach under the legendary coach, Dean Smith. He was a graduate assistant coach while he earned his master's degree in administrative education at The Citadel. After completing his degree in 1973, Estes took assistant coaching positions at East Carolina and Rice universities and moved into head coaching positions at Presbyterian College (92-63 record) and Furman University (135-122 record). In the mid 1990s, Estes left the court for five years to work for Fox Sport Net as a basketball analyst, eventually taking head coaching jobs at Guilford College and Miami-Dade South Community College. He did a brief tenure at the University of Miami as assistant coach in 2006, and in 2007, he moved to the Seattle area to support his wife's career (she is an executive producer at a local TV station) and accepted an assistant coach position at Seattle University. Estes holds a 338-267 record as a head coach and is an eight-time Coach of the Year nominee. "Butch Estes is an established professional with a long and successful coaching record," says Doug Palmer, athletic director at Shoreline Community College. "We are very fortunate to have him lead our basketball team." Coach Butch Estes Coaching History: 2007-08 Assistant Coach, Seattle University Education: For more information about sports programs at Shoreline Community College, check out the web site at http://www.shoreline.edu/athletics/.
Shoreline Community College is located at 16101 Greenwood Avenue North, just north of Seattle city limits and west of Aurora Avenue.
April 02, 2008
Shoreline, WA — The Athletic Department at Shoreline Community College is pleased to announce that Butch Estes has been hired as the men's basketball coach. Estes has more than 30 years coaching experience at the college/university level; most recently as assistant coach at Seattle University.
2006-07 Assistant Coach, University of Miami
2003-06 Head Coach, Miami-Dade South Community Coll., Record: 69-22
1999-03 Head Coach, Guilford College, Record: 43-58
1994-99 Basketball Analyst, Fox Sport Net
1985-94 Head Coach, Furman University, Record: 135-122
1980-85 Head Coach, Presbyterian College, Record: 92-63
1977-80 Assistant Coach, Rice University
1973-77 Assistant Coach, East Carolina University
1971-73 Graduate Assistant Coach, The Citadel
1968-71 Student Assistant Coach, North Carolina
1973 Master’s Degree in Administrative Education, The Citadel
1971 Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, University of North Carolina
Spokane's Burns accepts coaching position at University of Idaho Spokane, WA - Coach Mike Burns, who lead the Sasquatch to a 30-2 record this past season has accepted a job as an assistant coach, joining the new staff at the University of Idaho Men's Basketball Team. view press release
April 02, 2008
Spokane Hires Hull to lead the Men's Basketball Program Spokane, WA. - The Community Colleges of Spokane is proud to announce that Clint Hull has been hired as the new men's basketball coach effective immediately. Hull takes over the reins from Mike Burns who has taken an assistant coaching position on the new staff at the University of Idaho. Hull spent last year as a Sasquatch assistant coach and before that he was on the coaching staff at Irvine Valley College in southern California. Hull started his playing career at Eastern Washington University and completed his eligibility and academics at Concordia University in Irvine California. During his senior year of college Hull earned All-American Honorable Mention honors on the court and was a two-time NAIA Scholar All-American majoring in Biology. "Clint Hull is a great addition to our coaching staff and we are very excited about having him lead our men's basketball program for years to come. Coach Hull is a bright young man that has great personal & professional skills and we are lucky to have him as part of our family" stated CCS Athletic Direct Ken Burrus.
April 02, 2008
Former Olympic basketball coach directs Portland State to March Madness Ken Bone, the former men's basketball coach at Olympic College, has guided Portland State University to its first ever NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships. Bone took over the Portland State program in 2005-06 season when his team finished 12-16 overall. In the following season, he led the Vikings to a 19-13 record and a fourth place finish in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. This season, the Vikings are 23-9, the best in school history, and recently won the Big Sky Conference Tournament with a win over Northern Arizona to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. Bone began his head coaching career at Cal State Stanislaus in 1984-85, then took the helm at Olympic during the '85-86 season before moving on to an assistant and head coaching position with Seattle Pacific. In 2002, Bone took an assignment as an assistant with the University of Washington until PSU contacted him about taking over the program at Portland. Bone's NWAACC connections began in the late 1970's when he played basketball at Edmonds CC and Shoreline CC prior to playing for Seattle University in 1980-82. His staff also includes other NWAACC connections; assistant coach Eric Harper was the head coach at Yakima Valley before joining PSU for the 2005-06 season and associate head coach Tyler Geving played for Highline in the early 1990s.
March 14, 2008
Umpqua's Stricklin to be inducted into California Hall of Fame In eight seasons at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA, Stricklin compiled an almost unbelievable record of 259-27, reaching the 200 win plateau as fast as anyone in community college history. While winning seven league championships in eight seasons, including seven trips to the California Final Four, two California State Championships and one runner-up, Stricklin's teams averaged over 32 wins and only three losses a season. During his tenure, Stricklin's teams went undefeated in every game played at Golden West, winning 88 straight home games. At Umpqua, Stricklin's teams have won two NWAACC Championships and have also earned two third place finishes and one fourth place finish. His combined overall won-loss record is 586-112.
March 10, 2008
Umpqua women's basketball head coach Dave Stricklin will be inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Hall of Fame at a banquet on March 12. The event will take place at the California Men's and Women's Final Four being held at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.
Basketball All-Star Games Broadcast
March 06, 2008
This year's games will be broadcast on the College Channel, BCC's local cable access television station. The games can be watched live on channel 28 in the east king county region, and will also be available for free replay for Comcast Digital Cable subscribers in Washington State via the company’s On Demand service.
NWAACC basketball all-star games The 2008 men and women's basketball sophomore all-star games will the held at Bellevue Community College [driving directions] on March 9th.
March 06, 2008
Yakima Yaks win the 2008 NWAACC Men's Basketball Championship While the Sasquatch fans might've been outnumbered by the hometown Columbia Basin crowd at the women's championship game, they came out in force - and with sound - to cheer on the favored Spokane team as they took on the Yakima Yaks in the 2008 NWAACC Men's Basketball Championship game. However, even their fans couldn't protect Spokane from amazing performance of future tournament MVP Anthony Johnson. For the Sasquatch, starting were first team Eastern region all-star guard Mathew Door, second-team all stars, guard Jon Clift, guard Eric Beal and guard Jordan Gregg, and forward Robert Lippman. Kicking off the game for the Yaks were guard Jody Johnson, guard Nico Sandoval, Eastern MVP guard Anthony Johnson, forward Mario Allen and forward LeMar Anglin. The first points of the game highlighted the ongoing struggle of both teams to provide defense without giving up fouls. From the line, LeMar Anglin knocked down one of his two free throws to give the Yaks the first score of the game. On the other end of the court, Spokane came on the board after Robert Lippman drilled down both of his free throw shots when a foul forced him to the line for the Sasquatch. With both teams in the double bonus with more than five minutes to play in the first half, the Yaks outperformed on the free throw line, adding to their lead. However, Matt Dorr gave the Sasquatch an invigorating lift as he nailed a three at the buzzer, sending the teams into the locker room with a score of Yaks 37, Sasquatch 31. Robert Lippman once again scored the first points of the half for the Sasquatch from the line. Jordan Gregg added another two for Spokane and a quick trade of baskets between the Yaks and Jon Clift found the Sasquatch only a field goal down, two minutes into the half. Two minutes later, a spinning basket from Lippman tied the score and a fast break lay-up from Dorr put Spokane ahead for the first time since the early part of the game with fifteen minutes still to play and a score of 43-41. The teams proceeded to trade baskets, and with under 8 minutes to go, it was all tied up at 53. After a foul, the Sasquatch added one more. Matthew Door grabbed his own rebound from a three to drive it to the basket for two - and did it again after a score by the Yaks on the other end of the court. Anthony Johnson fought back for the Yaks, making most of his chances at the line and matching whatever Spokane had to offer. Neither team could shake the other and with 2:35 remaining, the game was again a dead heat at 61 all when a foul sent Lippman to the line to shoot two. Matthew Dorr's foul on Anthony Johnson saw him make the first basket and miss the second. A steal by Jody Johnson gave the ball back to the Yaks and Sandoval charged hard, adding two give the Yaks the lead with under 1:30 to play, 64-63. A beautiful layup by Clift from the side of the basket retuned Spokane to the top, 65-64. However, he pushed off of Anthony Johnson on the other end, sending the MVP to the line to drop in two. With a score of 66-65 and 35 seconds on the clock, Spokane inbounded the ball after the time out. Clift headed to the basket, sending LeMar Anglin to the ground and was chared with the offensive foul, ending his game and turning the ball over to the Yaks. However, the Sasquash stole the ball with 16 seconds on the clock and had one more chance. Under heavy coverage, Matthew Dorr's last second shot bounced off the rim, sending the Yakima Yaks home with the championship in a score of 66-65. Spokane ends their season 30-2 and with a second place trophy. Yakima finishes 25-7. Leading scorers for the Spokane Sasquatch were Jon Clift with 18, Robert Lippman with 14, including 10 from the line, and all tournament team player Matthew Dorr with 9 points and 5 rebounds. For the Yakima Yaks, leading scorers included tournament all-team player Jody Johnson with 11 points and 10 rebounds and tournament MVP Anthony Johnson with 29. All-Tournament Team
March 02, 2008
First Team: Zach Henefin, WCC; Kenan Dizdarevic, UCC; Clay Greenland, PeC; Jody Johnson, YVCC: Jordan Gregg, CCS.
Second Team: Nico Sandoval, YVCC; Emmanuel Olekaibe, SOCC; Stephen Waltman, EVCC; Josh Monagle; Matthew Dorr, CCS.
Most Valuable Player: Anthony Johnson, YVCC
Most Inspirational Player: Robert Lippman, CCS
Columbia Basin Hawks win the 2008 NWAACC Women's Basketball Championship Columbia Basin Hawks win 2008 NWAACC Women's Basketball Championship In front of a vocal hometown crowd for Columbia Basin and a slightly more subdued group of Spokane fans, the Lady Hawks took on the Sasquatch in the 2008 NWAACC Women's Championship game. The starting lineup for Spokane included point guard Ren Mallory, guard Eleaya Schuerch, guard/forward Liz Beardslee, Eastern region all-star guard Kelsey Stillar and forward Kellee Neal. Eastern region MVP Nikki DePeel started for the hometown Hawks, after taking a hard hit to her nose yesterday against the Walla Walla Warriors. She was joined by guard Alexandria Allen, forward Lindsey Begaii, guard Karli Thomas and forward Brittany Cherry. East first team all-star Brittany Cherry drew the first blood for the Hawks, while DePeel caused the first foul. The Sasquatch's first points went to Kelsey Stillar who took the three from the top of the key. Kellee Neal followed it up with another three 10 seconds later at the same spot. The Hawks played the inside aggressively, forcing the Sasquatch to take their early shots - unsuccessfully - from the outside. A series of traveling calls, thrown away balls, fouls and poor shooting resulted in a low scoring game and double bonus shots as the time wound down in the first half. Hawk Dora Brings Yellow took the final shot in the first half, missing and sending the teams into the locker room for halftime with a score of Spokane 22, Columbia River Basin 19. Coming out of halftime, Hawk Nikki DePeel tied it up with the first score of the second half and Hawk Kellie Neal - who shot 100% from the line, the three and the inside for the first half and contributed 8 of Spokane's 22 points - was pulled out of the game one minute in for garnering her fourth personal foul. A field goal shot from the Sasquatch rattled around the basket and dropped in, giving Spokane back the lead. It was short-lived, however, as DePeel was fouled on next her next successful drive to the basket. Quick scores from Lindsay Begaii and another from DePeel grew the lead to six. The Hawks worked to keep the lead with a steal and a score by Rondelle Guthrie and a driving layup by Alexandria Allen. Spokane fought back with rebounds and jumpers from Ren Mallory, despite back to back traveling calls on Richelle Daily to bring it back within three with under ten minutes to play. DePeel took control again of the game for the Hawks, scoring another six points, and the Hawks hustling defensive play gave them the chance to kill the clock while extending their lead. The Sasquatch found themselves down by 11 with under four minutes to play, having not scored a point for six minutes. Ren Mallory broke the cold spell with a jumper in the paint to diminish the Hawk's lead to the single digits with 3:13 left in the game. That was as close as they would get, however, as the Hawks' Brittany Cherry responded with two of her own on a fading jumper and the Hawks continued to pull away with baskets from Begaii and successful foul shots from DePeel. The Columbia Basin Hawks win the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championships 49-37 and complete a successful season with a 28-3 record. Second place Spokane closed out their season 22-8. Tournament MVP Nikki DePeel was the highest scorer of the game with 18 points for the Hawks. For the Sasquatch, Liz Beardslee had 9 while Mallory and Neal each had 8. All-Tournament Team
March 02, 2008
First Team: Andrea Blodgett, YVCC; Kayla Bennett, NSCC; Mercedes Alexander, Lane; Kellee Neal, CCS; Brittany Cherry, CBC
Second Team: Amanda Atcheson, CENC; Kristina Schumacher, EVCC; Brittany Toone, WWCC; Liz Beardslee, CCS; Alexandria Allen, CBC
Most Valuable Player: Nikki DePeel, CBC
Most Inspirational Player: Ashlee Michelson, CCS
2008 NWAACC Men's Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team MVP First Team Second Team Most Inspirational Player
March 02, 2008
Anthony Johnson, Yakima Valley
Zach Henefin, Whatcom
Kenan Dizdarevic, Umpqua
Clay Greenland, Peninsula
Jody Johnson, Yakima Valley
Jordan Gregg, Spokane
Nico Sandoval, Yakima Valley
Emmanuel Olekaibe, Southwestern Oregon
Stephen Waltman, Everett
Josh Monagle, Bellevue
Matt Dorr, Spokane
Robert Lippman, Spokane
2008 NWAACC Women's Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team MVP First Team Second Team Most Inspirational Player
March 02, 2008
Nikki DePeel, Columbia Basin
Andrea Blodgett, Yakima Valley
Kayla Bennett, Seattle
Mercedes Alexander, Lane
Kellee Neal, Spokane
Brittany Cherry, Columbia Basin
Amanda Atcheson, Centralia
Kristina Schumacher, Everett
Brittany Toone, Walla Walla
Liz Beardslee, Spokane
Alexandria Allen, Columbia Basin
Ashlee Michelson, Spokane
NWAACC Championship Game Broadcasts & Scores Sunday, March 02 Men's Championship Women's Championship Tournament Box Scores & Stats: Men :: Women 3rd/6th Place Games 4th/7th Place games 5th/8th Place Games
March 02, 2008
Spokane 66 Yakima Valley 65
Columbia Basin 49 Spokane 37
Updated Brackets: Men :: Women
Game Recaps: Sunday :: Saturday :: Friday :: Thursday
Women Lane 63 Walla Walla 58
Men Umpqua 84 Southwestern Oregon 81
Women Yakima Valley 84 Centralia 66
Men Peninsula 60 Bellevue 44
Women Seattle 80 Everett 50
Men Whatcom 86 Everett 72 OT
NWAACC Championships - Game Recaps Sunday, March 2 7 p.m. Men's Championship Game: 1st Place Yakima Yaks 66, 2nd Place Spokane Sasquatch 65 While the Sasquatch fans might've been outnumbered by the hometown Columbia Basin crowd at the women's championship game, they came out in force - and with sound - to cheer on the favored Spokane team as they took on the Yakima Yaks in the 2008 NWAACC Men's Basketball Championship game. However, even their fans couldn't protect Spokane from amazing performance of future tournament MVP Anthony Johnson. For the Sasquatch, starting were first team Eastern region all-star guard Mathew Door, second-team all stars, guard Jon Clift, guard Eric Beal and guard Jordan Gregg, and forward Robert Lippman. Kicking off the game for the Yaks were guard Jody Johnson, guard Nico Sandoval, Eastern MVP guard Anthony Johnson, forward Mario Allen and forward LeMar Anglin. The first points of the game highlighted the ongoing struggle of both teams to provide defense without giving up fouls. From the line, LeMar Anglin knocked down one of his two free throws to give the Yaks the first score of the game. On the other end of the court, Spokane came on the board after Robert Lippman drilled down both of his free throw shots when a foul forced him to the line for the Sasquatch. With both teams in the double bonus with more than five minutes to play in the first half, the Yaks outperformed on the free throw line, adding to their lead. However, Matt Dorr gave the Sasquatch an invigorating lift as he nailed a three at the buzzer, sending the teams into the locker room with a score of Yaks 37, Sasquatch 31. Robert Lippman once again scored the first points of the half for the Sasquatch from the line. Jordan Gregg added another two for Spokane and a quick trade of baskets between the Yaks and Jon Clift found the Sasquatch only a field goal down, two minutes into the half. Two minutes later, a spinning basket from Lippman tied the score and a fast break lay-up from Dorr put Spokane ahead for the first time since the early part of the game with fifteen minutes still to play and a score of 43-41. The teams proceeded to trade baskets, and with under 8 minutes to go, it was all tied up at 53. After a foul, the Sasquatch added one more. Matthew Door grabbed his own rebound from a three to drive it to the basket for two - and did it again after a score by the Yaks on the other end of the court. Anthony Johnson fought back for the Yaks, making most of his chances at the line and matching whatever Spokane had to offer. Neither team could shake the other and with 2:35 remaining, the game was again a dead heat at 61 all when a foul sent Lippman to the line to shoot two. Matthew Dorr's foul on Anthony Johnson saw him make the first basket and miss the second. A steal by Jody Johnson gave the ball back to the Yaks and Sandoval charged hard, adding two give the Yaks the lead with under 1:30 to play, 64-63. A beautiful layup by Clift from the side of the basket retuned Spokane to the top, 65-64. However, he pushed off of Anthony Johnson on the other end, sending the MVP to the line to drop in two. With a score of 66-65 and 35 seconds on the clock, Spokane inbounded the ball after the time out. Clift headed to the basket, sending LeMar Anglin to the ground and was chared with the offensive foul, ending his game and turning the ball over to the Yaks. However, the Sasquash stole the ball with 16 seconds on the clock and had one more chance. Under heavy coverage, Matthew Dorr's last second shot bounced off the rim, sending the Yakima Yaks home with the championship in a score of 66-65. Spokane ends their season 30-2 and with a second place trophy. Yakima finishes 25-7. Leading scorers for the Spokane Sasquatch were Jon Clift with 18, Robert Lippman with 14, including 10 from the line, and all tournament team player Matthew Dorr with 9 points and 5 rebounds. For the Yakima Yaks, leading scorers included tournament all-team player Jody Johnson with 11 points and 10 rebounds and tournament MVP Anthony Johnson with 29. All-Tournament Team
March 02, 2008
First Team: Zach Henefin, WCC; Kenan Dizdarevic, UCC; Clay Greenland, PeC; Jody Johnson, YVCC: Jordan Gregg, CCS.
Second Team: Nico Sandoval, YVCC; Emmanuel Olekaibe, SOCC; Stephen Waltman, EVCC; Josh Monagle; Matt Dorr, CCS.
Most Valuable Player: Anthony Johnson, YVCC
Most Inspirational Player: Robert Lippman, CCS
4:30 p.m. Women's Championship Game: 1st Place Columbia Basin Hawks 49, 2nd Place Spokane Sasquatch 37
In front of a vocal hometown crowd for Columbia Basin and a slightly more subdued group of Spokane fans, the Lady Hawks took on the Sasquatch in the 2008 NWAACC Women's Championship game.
The starting lineup Spokane included point guard Ren Mallory, guard Eleaya Schuerch, guard/forward Liz Beardslee, Eastern region all-star guard Kelsey Stillar and forward Kellee Neal.
Eastern region MVP Nikki DePeel started for the hometown Hawks, after taking a hard hit to her nose yesterday against the Walla Walla Warriors. She was joined by point guard Nikki DePeel, guard Alexandria Allen, forward Lindsey Begaii, guard Karli Thomas and forward Brittany Cherry.
East first team all-star Brittany Cherry drew the first blood for the Hawks, while DePeel caused the first foul.
The Sasquatch's first points went to Kelsey Stillar who took the three from the top of the key. Kellee Neal followed it up with another three 10 seconds later at the same spot. The Hawks played the inside aggressively, forcing the Sasquatch to take their early shots - unsuccessfully - from the outside.
A series of traveling calls, thrown away balls, fouls and poor shooting resulted in a low scoring game and double bonus shots as the time wound down in the first half. Hawk Dora Brings Yellow took the final shot he final shot in the half, missing and sending the teams into the locker room for halftime with a score of Spokane 22, Columbia River Basin 19.
Coming out of halftime, Hawk Nikki DePeel tied it up with the first score of the second half and Hawk Kellie Neal - who shot 100% from the line, the three and the inside for the first half and contributed 8 of Spokane's 22 points - was pulled out of the game one minute in for garnering her fourth personal foul.
A field goal shot from the Squash rattled around the basket and dropped in, giving Spokane back the lead. It was short-lived, however, as DePeel was fouled on next her next successful drive to the basket. Quick scores from Lindsay Begaii and another from DePeel grew the lead to six.
The Hawks worked to keep the lead with a steal and a score by Rondell Guthrie and a driving layup by Alexandria Allen. Spokane fought back with rebounds and jumpers from Ren Mallory, despite back to back traveling calls on Richelle Daily to bring it back within three with under ten minutes to play.
DePeel took control again of the game for the Hawks, scoring another six points, and the Hawks hustling defensive play gave them the chance to kill the clock while extending their lead. The Sasquatch found themselves down by 11 with under four minutes to play, having not scored a point for six minutes.
Ren Mallory broke the cold spell with a jumper in the paint to diminish the Hawk's lead to the single digits with 3:13 left in the game. That was as close as they would get, however, as the Brittany Cherry responded with two of her own on a fading jumper and the Hawks continued to pull away with baskets from Begaii and successful foul shots from DePeel.
The Columbia Basin Hawks win the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championships 49-37 and complete a successful season with a 28-3 record. Second place Spokane closed out their season 22-8.
Tournament MVP Nikki DePeel was the highest scorer of the game with 18 points for the Hawks. For the Sasquatch, Liz Beardslee had 9 while Mallory and Neal each had 8.
All-Tournament Team
First Team: Andrea Blodgett, YVCC; Kayla Bennett, NSCC; Mercedes Alexander, Lane; Kellee Neal, CCS; Brittany Cherry, CBC
Second Team: Amanda Atcheson, CENC; Kristina Schumacher, EVCC; Brittany Toone, WWCC; Liz Beardslee, CCS; Alexandria Allen, CBC
Most Valuable Player: Nikki DePeel, CBC
Most Inspirational Player: Ashlee Michelson, CCS
Men 2 p.m. 3rd Place Umpqua Riverhawks 84, 6th Place Southwestern Oregon Lakers 81
In a game fought tooth and nail, the Riverhawks and the Lakers dragged the drama out to the end.
With 45 seconds to go, and the Lakers down by two, they stole the ball and headed downcourt. In the ensuing fracas under the basket, a foul and an the errant ball nailed South second team all-star Jarrad Childs in the nose, sending him out of the game and South first team all-star Emmanuel Olekaibe to the line to shoot - and sink - two.
With the game tied 81-81 with 28 to go, Umpqua ran down the time on the clock, finally handing the ball off to first team all-star Joseph Foster who shot a three as time almost expired, finding the net with .8 seconds left on the clock and boosting the Riverhawks over the Lakers, 81-64.
All-stars Olekaibe and Joseph Foster lead the Lakers in scoring with 16 points. Matt Dance fielded 11 rebounds.
Riverhawk Kenan Dizdarevic brought home 30 points, but the leading scoring title went to on-fire Tyler Barnes who made 13/15 from the field and 100% of his five free throws for a total of 31 points.
After capturing first place in the Championship, the Riverhawks finish their season 25-7. The Lakers end competition in 6th place with a 22-11 record.
Women 2 p.m. 3rd Place Lane Titans 63, 6th Place Walla Walla Warriors 58
After Saturday's brutal battle against Columbia Basin, a battered Warrior team took to the court against the winningest team in the regular season without Eastern region all-star, Layne Tucker, who exited the game yesterday with a broken finger, and starter Allie Dreadfulwater, who left the same game with an injured knee. However, Warrior Sydney Gossard stepped up, keeping the team close with a series of three-pointers and the team headed into hafltime down by one and even garnered a lead of 5 in the early minutes of the second part of the game.
South MVP, Titan Mercedes Alexander, showed why she's earned the honor by keeping her team in the game, making key shots and putting Lane up for the first time in 15 minutes with under two to play.
With a Lane leading 57-55, Gossard turned the ball over to the Titans. Her subsequent foul on Sheena Cole’s successful drive to the basket put Cole on the line. Although she missed her free throw, the Titans recovered the ball and Alexander offered a hook to put Lane up 61-55 with under a minute to play.
Brittanie Toone responded with a nothing but 'net three from the top of the key, putting the Warriors back in striking distance with a score of 61-58.
On the other end of the court, Toone fouled Stephanie Stephens who made her shots to extend the lead to 63-58 with 17 seconds to play.
With the ball back in the Warrior hands, Toone tried again for the three, but the ball swished under the net and the Titans reclaimed the ball and the win.
Alexander lead the victorious Titans in scoring and rebounds with 24 points and 12 boards. She was supported by all-star teammate Stephanie Stephens and Sheena Cole's additional 14 points each.
For the Warriors, Eastern all-star Katie Strunk lead the charge with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Toone added 13 and Goassard contributed 12.
The Lane Titans win 3rd place in the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championship game with a score of 63-58 over the Walla Walla Warriors, completing their season 29-4. The Warriors end their season 23-8 and with 6th place in the NWAACC tournament.
Men 12 p.m. 4th Place Peninsula Pirates 60, 7th Place Bellevue Bulldogs 44
In a game that was much closer than the score implied, the Belleview Bulldogs and the Peninsula Pirates battled fiercely until four minutes to play. With the Pirates up by 5, Peninsula drilled a three - and Bellevue's energy with it.
An ensuing series of sloppy play by the Bulldogs and inspired scoring by the Pirates drove the score up as the time wound down, earning the Pirates 4th place in the Championship and a season record of 25-8.
Pirates top scorers were Clay Greenland with 18, North all-star Dominick Lozano with 12 and Cody Smithson with 11. Jesse Bean set up his teammates well with 6 assists.
Bulldog North all-stars Josh Monagle and Steve Wiseley lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 and 8 points each. Michael Duty contributed 9 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bellevue Bulldogs end their season with 7th place in the tournament and a record of 22-10.
Women 12 p.m. 4th Place Yakima Yaks 84, 7th Place Centralia Trailblazers 66
After losing to Lane on Friday, the Yaks rolled over the Red Devils from Lower Columbia on Saturday and continued their domination on Sunday against the Trailblazers, winning 84-66.
Yakima East all-stars Alex Moore-Porter, Tana Stickney and Andrea Blodgett lead the Yaks in scoring with 32, 23 and 11 points, respectively. Moore-Porter dragged down 13 rebounds and Blodgett set up shots with 6 assists.
Centralia starters Amanda Atcheson and Deanna Riffe shot the best for the Lady Blazers, with 27 and 10 points.
The Lady Blazers end their season with a 7th place finish in the tournament and a 25-8 record. The Yaks finish with a 4th place title and a 26-5 record.
Men 10 a.m. 5th Place Whatcom Orcas 86, 8th place Everett Trojans 72 OT
The Trojan met were able to muster enough energy to force the game into overtime, however, there they struggled, scoring only two points against Whatcom's 16 as the Orcas went on to win 5th place in the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championship.
The Orcas were lead by Mike Bagby with 17 points and Steven Webb and Cory Hendricks, each with 13. Ryan Christensen posted 11 points of his own and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Chris Grounds drove the Trojans with 27 points. His teammates David Griffiths and Stephen Waltman included a dozen points of their own. Waltman also made some big rebounds, pulling down 16 in all. The Trojans finish the tournament in 8th place.
Women 10 a.m. 5th Place Seattle Storm 80, 8th Place Everett Trojans 50
While the Trojan men battled their way into overtime on the court next store, the Trojan women just worked to survive after heading into halftime down by 24. Unfortunately, the lead only grew in the second half of the game and the Seattle Storm whirled on to take 5th place in the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championship.
Leading the Storm charge was Kayla Bennett with 24 points while Candace Grettenberger dropped in 14 and pulled down 10 boards. Also contributing were Sherika Puckett with 11 points and Chiaki Nakamura with 10, respectively.
For the losing Trojans, Kristina Schumacher offered up 14 points. Her teammate Bryna Trescott was close behind with 13, while Keena Hopkins had 10 of her own.
The Trojans finish the season in 8th place.
NWAACC Championships - Game Recaps Saturday, March 1 Men 8 p.m. Semifinal Spokane Sasquatch 81, Southwestern Oregon Lakers 64 Buoyed by the victory of the women's team in the semi-final match only minutes before, the Sasquatch men yellowed early and loud, encouraging their team to an 81-64 win. Southwestern Oregon's leaders came from Emmanuel Olekaibe's 17, and 10 each from Joseph Foster and Matt Dance. The Sasquatch saw 17 points from Matthew Dorr, 16 from Jon Clift, 14 from Eric Beal and 10 from Robert Lippman. The Sasquatch will go for the gold against the Yakima Yaks tomorrow at 7 p.m. The losing Lakers will face the Riverhawks at 2 on Sunday. The Hawks-Warrior semifinal match-up was a battle of tensions and injuries, with large, vocal crowds on both sides and equally animated benches. In the first half, Warrior starter Allie Dreadfulwater was carried off the court with an unspecified knee injury. Shortly thereafter, the Hawk star and Eastern region MVP Nikki DePeel left the game with a suspected broken nose. Before the half was out, Layne Tucker - a second team Eastern all-star - headed off the court with an obviously broken pinky finger. Away from the injuries, the Hawks held the Warriors to only 26 points in the first half, emerging from halftime with a 15-point lead. Nikki DePeel re-entered the game in the second half, helping the Hawks drive up a 19 point lead. However, the Warriors battled back, bringing it within 4 with under 5 minutes to play. However, the loss of two starters in the first half - and labored play of the injured Katie Strunk - were too much for the Warriors, and the Hawks pulled away again to secure the win with a score of 72-63. The Hawks will try for the championship against the Spokane Sasquatch tomorrow at 4:30. The Warriors will fight on for third place by taking on Lane at 2 p.m. Men 6 p.m. Semifinal: Yakima Yaks 89, Umpqua Riverhawks 79 The Yaks stomped over the Riverhawks on their way to the NWAACC Championship game tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Yaks lead early and never stopped working to extend their control over the game. Anthony Johnson contributed an eye-popping 38 points while Jody Johnson and Nico Sandoval had 15 and 10, respectively. For the losing 'Hawks, Tyler Barnes lead with 27 points while South MVP Edwin Richardson dropped in 19. All-stars Kenan Dizdarevic had 17 and Jarred Childs had 10. The Yaks will try to become the 2008 NWAACC basketball champions tomorrow at 7 p.m. They will face the winner of tonight's 8 p.m. contest between the Spokane Sasquatch and the Southwestern Oregon Lakers. The Riverhawks will challenge the loser of the same game to go for third place at 2 p.m. The battle between the Sasquatch and the Titans was fought a tooth-and-nail as each team worked to secure their role in the 2008 NWAACC Championship game. Supported by a vocal crowd, the Sasquatch garnered an early lead over the defending champions. However, an early lead means nothing if you can't hold onto it and with ten minutes remaining in the game, the Titans had returned to striking distance. With less than three minutes to play, the score was tied up at 50. Two quick baskets by the Sasquash, including one from Liz Beardslee, tuned the game into a 54-50 score. After a failed shot by the Titans, Mercedes Alexander proved her South MVP mettle by stealing the ball right out of a Sasquatch player's hands for a layup to bring the game to 54-52. After an official's time out for an injured all-star Titan Nicole Morgan, 'Squash's Beardslee ran it up the middle for two points in the paint and a score of 56-54. A foul by Titan Jennifer Kimbrow sent the game back down the court and 'Squash Richelle Daily sunk her free throw shots for two, making it a 4 point game with under thirty to play. A round of fouls added a point for each side, but the gap remained. Spokane defeats Lane 59-55. Titan all-stars Stephanie Stephens and Nicole Morgan had 21 and 10 points, respectively. Alexander contributed 16. Spokane high scorers included Kellee Neal with 15, Beardslee with 14 and Daily with 11. Spokane will see the winner of tonight's 8 p.m. match-up between Walla Walla and Columbia River Basin tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. as they try to become the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Champions. Lane will see the loser of the same challenge at 2 p.m. in hopes of securing third place. Men 4 p.m. Everett Trojans 72, Highline Thunderbirds 69 While the Trojan women ran away with - and then melted down - in their game that was taking place simultaneously on the other court, the Trojan men attempted shake off their Thunderbird competitors. Although Everett had a slight lead coming out of halftime, the two teams traded buckets throughout the second part of the game. The Trojans, however, always remained one step ahead of the Thunderbirds until a Highline score with 1:30 remaining gave them a one-point lead, 69-68. Everett responded, putting the ball in the hands of Jon Moe who proved his North all-star status with a beautiful layup, making the score 70-69 in favor of the Trojans. Thunderbird Kelly Edwards missed his subsequent shot, taken under pressure as the shot clock wound town. The quick foul took Jon Moe to the line for a 1 + 1, where he drilled both baskets to give the Trojans a three-point lead. With 13 seconds on the clock and the score of 72-69, Highline took possession of the ball. Josh Broussard tried for the game-tying shot as the clock expired, banging it off the rim and into the hands of the Trojans. Everett moves onto the battle for 5th place tomorrow at 10 a.m. against the Whatcom Orcas. Women 4 p.m. Everett Trojans 80, Umpqua Riverhawks 70 It was almost the comeback story of the 2008 NWAACC tournament. Down by 34 points, the Umpqua women fought back against the contented Trojans, bringing the score within seven with as many minutes to play. High scoring Trojan Keena Hopkins (16 points) fouled out of the game six minutes still on the clock. It was here, however, that the steamrolling Riverhawks stalled. Unable to get any closer to the elusive Tojans, the Everett team won 80-70. Leading the Umpqua charge were Deanna Tupai with 20 points, supported by Marissa Towry with 14, Cassie Scheffelmaier with 12 and Kristin Fallin's 10 points and 16 rebounds. For the Trojans, high scorers were Bryna Trescott with 26 points and a stunning 19 rebounds, Kristina Schumacher with 18 points and Brooke Russell with 11 points. The Lady Trojans will again battle at the same time as their men's team tomorrow at 10 a.m. The Trojans will face the Seattle Storm in their quest for 5th place. Men 2 p.m. Peninsula Pirates 88, Clackamas Cougars 84 With both teams coming off losses yesterday, the Pirates and the Cougars were eager to win and extend their time in the NWAACC basketball championship. Although Peninsula took the early lead and lead at the end of the first half, Clackamas narrowed the lead to two in the last quarter of the game. Peninsula realized the game was in danger and started running scared, pulling away with a series of unanswered points, adding onto their lead with a back-to-back three pointers. The Cougars continued to claw at the Pirates, drawing strength from a three point shot by JC Cook to bring it back within four with under 1:40 to play. After a scrambled ball lead to a turnover to Clackamas, JC Cook took a two-point shot that was swatted away as it arched to the basket. The goaltending charge brought the score to 84-82 with just under a minute to play. Peninsula successfully ran down the clock, scoring another 2 points with only 3 seconds remaining on their shot clock. Clackamas couldn't answer and was forced to foul, where two successful free throw shots extended the Pirates lead back to 6. A bucket inside the paint by the Cougars added another two to the board, but the team ran out of time. The games' leading scorer was JC Cook with 32 points for the Cougars. He was supported by the play of Adam Brickley with 21 points and 11 rebounds and Austin Dunn with 15 points. For the Pirates, Dominick Lozano pulled in 21 points and contributed 9 assists. Clay Greenland had 17 points of his own, with 13 rebounds. Chidi Antoinne's performance included 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Pirates win 88-84 and will try for fourth place in the tournament by playing Bellevue tomorrow at 12 p.m. The six-woman South Puget Sound team couldn't match the depth and breath of the blazing Centralia team in the 2 p.m. women's game but they certainly tried. At the half, the Lady Blazers had more than doubled the score of the Clippers team, 41-19. Still, the Clippers battled back, outscoring the Blazers by 12 in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the first half pressure. Leading scorers for the victorious Trailblazers were Amanda Atcheson with 14 points, Deanna Riffe and Ali Matisons, both with 11, and Jill Fuller with 10 points. Mandy McFadden brought down 10 from the boards. For South Puget Sound, the games' high scores were Alicia Richardson with 17 points and Megan Sanders with 10. The Trailblazers will go for fourth place at the championships by taking on Yakima at noon on Sunday. Men 12 p.m. Bellevue Bulldogs 70, Lower Columbia Red Devils 63 With a swath of Red Devil supporters dividing their attentions between the men's and women's games, and a number of Bulldog fans fresh from the loss of the Lady Bulldogs in their 10 a.m. contest, there was plenty of support on both sides for the Lower Columbia-Bellevue match-up. The Red Devils took the lead early on and carried the double-digit pillow into halftime, thanks to high scorers Issac Jimcoily (14 points) and Josh Troyer (10 points). The Bulldogs, however, refused to stop clawing and dragged themselves back into the game, finally taking the lead 56-55 with under 5 minutes to play, rallying around their game's scoring leaders Josh Monagle (19 points) and Michael Duty (18 points). A controversial goaltending call on Red Devil Alex King and Steve Wiseley's beautiful lob up while rising up over the center of the paint set the Bulldogs up for their first two-basket lead, 63-57, with under three minutes in regulation. The Bulldogs continued to stay one step ahead of the Red Devils as the clock wound down, sinking their free throws and forcing turnovers as the game disintegrated in the final seconds to a score of 70-63, Bulldog win. Lower Columbia ends its season. The Bulldogs will continue on to fight for 4th place in the tournament against the winner of the 2 p.m. fight between Peninsula and Clackamas. Although their men's team was unable to unseat the Yakima Yaks yesterday, the Lady Red Devils tried their best to redeem their school and eliminate the Lady Yaks from the tournament in today's 12 p.m. game. The Devils struggled from the beginning, shooting less than 30% from the field for the first half and getting buried by the 50% success rate of the Yaks on the three. Although they were able to match the Yaks shot for shot in the second half, it wasn't enough to dent Yakima's commanding lead. The Yaks defeat the Devils, 77-61. The Devils were carried by Nadra Evans' 20 points. The Lower Columbia star scored on 50% of her attempts. Revealing the depth of talent on their team, the Yaks had four players in the double digits, lead by Chelsey Nill's 16 points and Andrea Bladgett's 13. The Yaks will challenge the winner of today's 2 p.m. contest between Centralia and South Puget Sound at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Men 8 a.m. Whatcom Orcas 81, Big Bend 68 Lead by the Orca Zach Henifin's 23 points, Whatcom defeated the Big Bend Vikings today in the opening game of Men's play, 81-68. The Orcas lead by 17 points at halftime and extended their lead as large as 22 points. However, the Vikings continued to fight, spurred on by the 17 points from James York. The additional help of 13 points from teammate's Daley Landon and 11 from Brett Vriesman were able to bring the game with 13, but not enough to overcome the Orcas. Whatcom will continue on in the tournament to test their meddle against the winner of today's 4 p.m. contest between Highline and Everett to claim 5th place. Women 8 a.m. Seattle Storm 58, Bellevue Bulldogs 57 The game was all tied up at halftime and that's where it remained with less than two and a half minutes remaining in the first Women's game today. Chiaki Nakamura broke the dead heat by sinking a three for the Storm, putting Seattle up three with two minutes to play, 58-55. Bulldog Kaneshia Brooks answered with a long two of her own for Bellevue. A series of missed shots ensued as the time wound down to one minute. Seattle's time out laid out a plan, but not enough time for them to complete it – a shot clock violation turned the ball back over to Bellevue, who took a timeout of their own with 40 seconds remaining. Danielle Bue took a drive to the basket for the 'Dogs. She scored, but it was ruled no basket because traveling. With the score still 58-57, Candace Grettenberger took to the free throw line after being quickly fouled. She missed the shot, and knocked it out of bounds trying to snag the rebound. Bellevue worked the ball back down the court and took a shot that was rebounded by the Storm - who were then charged with a travel. With two seconds remaining on the shot clock, Bellevue had one last second chance for the win. It was left up to Briana Lewis to try for the jumper - a three point attempt that bounced off the back of the rim, ending the Bulldog Season. Leading the Storm to victory were Kayla Bennett's 19 points, followed by Katie Kirsch's 15. Candace Grettenberger pulled down 12 rebounds. For the losing Bulldogs, Alicia Tennyson lead in scoring with 12 points. Danielle Bue contributed 10. Seattle wins 58-57 and will play tomorrow at 10 a.m. for 5th place in the 2008 NWAACC basketball tournament. They will take on the winner of today's 4 p.m. matchup between Everett and Umpqua.
March 01, 2008
Women 8 p.m. Semifinal Columbia Basin Hawks 72, Walla Walla Warriors 63
Women 6 p.m. Semifinal: Spokane Sasquatch 59, Lane Titans 55
Women 2 p.m. Centralia Trailblazers 64, South Puget Sound Clippers 54
Women 12 pm. Yakima Yaks 77, Lower Columbia Red Devils 61
NWAACC Women's All-Stars NORTH ALL-STARS Second Team MVP: Kristina Schumacher, EVCC Coach of the Year: Chet Hovde, EVCC Second Team MVP: Nikki DePeel, CBC Coach of the Year: Cheryl Holden, CBC WEST ALL-STARS First Team Second Team MVP: Amanda Atcheson, CenC Coach of the Year: Dee Dee Horton, SPSCC SOUTH ALL-STARS Second Team MVP: Mercedes Alexander, Lane Coach of the Year: Dave Stricklin, UCC
February 29, 2008
First Team
Kayla Bennett, SCC
Marissa Bower, BCC
Megan Gilbert, OC
Oliana Seonoa, EVCC
Jessica Takara, SVC
Coty Ettl, OC
Sam Flett, PeC
Trisha Mallahan, WCC
Corinna Sharick, SVC
Jena Walentowski,ShCC
EAST ALL-STARS
First Team
Brittney Cherry, CBC
Andrea Blodgett, YVCC
Alexandria Allen, CBC
Tana Stickney, YVCC
Katie Strunk, WWCC
Jequela Warren, BMCC
Kim Bluff, BBCC
Kelsey Stillar, CCS
Layne Tucker, WWCC
Ashlee Michelson, CCS
Alex Moore-Porter, YVCC
Nadra Evans, LCC
Ashley Kitzman, Clark
Alicia Richardson, SPSCC
Sarah Sides, GHC
Heidi Jackson, LCC
Shavon Tate, TCC
Whitney Titus, SPS
Valerie Cook, HCC
Mandy McFadden, CenC
Katie Garcin, LCC
First Team
Stephanie Stephens, Lane
Rachel Copeland, CLCC
Deanna Tupai, UCC
Kristi Fallin, UCC
Brittney Wilson, CHCC
Nicole Morgan, Lane
Miranda Holenstein, UCC
Emily Irwin, LBCC
Katelyn White, LBCC
Monique Tribble, CLCC
NWAACC Men's All-Stars NORTH ALL-STARS First Team Second Team MVP: Clay Greenland, PeC Coach of the Year: Peter Stewart, PeC EAST ALL-STARS First Team Second Team MVP: Anthony Johnson, YVCC Coach of the Year: Mike Burns, CCS WEST ALL-STARS First Team Second Team MVP: Chris Scott, SPSCC Coach of the Year: Jim Roffler, LCC SOUTH ALL-STARS First Team MVP: Edwin Richardson, UCC Coach of the Year: Donell Morgan, UCC
February 29, 2008
Josh Monagle, BCC
Mike Bagby, WCC
Chris Grounds, EVCC
JaRon Brown, SHCC
Dominick Lozano, PeC
Ryan Christensen, WCC
Jon Moe, EVCC
Michael Duty, BCC
Steve Wiseley, BCC
Zack Henifin, WCC
Daley Landon, BBCC
Matthew Dorr, CCS
Shane Miller, TVCC
Mark Minarik, WWCC
James York, BBCC
Jordan Gregg, CCS
Eric Beal, CCS
Jon Clift, CCS
Bo Gregg, CCS
Brett Vriesman, BBCC
Chris Sprinker TCC
Alex King LCC
Orlandor Westbrooks Clark
Cody Theuringer HCC
Dave Massington GRCC
Josh Troyer LCC
Scott Halasz Pierce
Shedrick Nelson HCC
Emmanuel Jenkins TCC
Bryan Trask GHCC
JC Cook, ClCC
Joseph Foster, SOCC
Kenan Dizdarevic, UCC
Dominique Watson, Lane
Emmanuel Olekaibe, SOCC
Second Team
Cory Neal, ChCC
Austin Dunn, ClCC
Pierre Calloway, MHCC
Jarrad Childs, UCC
DeMarcus Branch, MHCC
Tyson Christie, L:BCC
NWAACC Championships - Game Recaps Friday, February 29 Men 10 p.m. Everett Trojans 92, South Puget Sound Clippers 86 Although the game was close going into the second half, it soon emerged that the 10 p.m. start time was past the Clipper's bedtimes as the Trojans out-shot, out-hustled and, most importantly, out-rebounded South Puget Sound for most of the second period. In the last minutes of the game, the Clippers woke up and fought back from a period high 15 point deficit, rallying behind Jonny Sarysz' gutsy and enthusiastic play after a series of hard falls. Key shots from Chris Scott brought South Puget South within 7 with two minutes to go. However, they could not stop the Trojans' 2-point response to almost every basket to close the gap. The day's scoring leader, Trojan Jon Moe, nailed down 36 points. His teammates Stephen Waltman and Brian Mason scored 14 and 10, respectively. The Clippers had six players in the double digits. Jonny Saryaz topped with 19, followed closely by Nigel Moore with 17, Chris Scott with 15, Michael Brumsey with 14 and finally Ramone Johnson and Gerad Moser with 11 and 10 points. The Trojans win the game 92 to 86. This is the end of Clipper's season. Everett will return to the court tomorrow at 4 p.m. to face Highline.
February 29, 2008
Women 10 p.m. Umpqua Riverhawks, Skagit Valley Cardinals
The combination of high scoring from Ashley Grater (18 points), Corrina Sharick (15 points), Caitie Newman (12 points), Alex Love (11 points) and Alyssa Hendrickson (10 points) was not enough for the Cardinals to overcome the Riverhawk's triple threat.
Miranda Holenstein lead the team to victory with 33 points. Her teammates Kristi Fallin and Cassie Scheffelmaier dropped in an extra 19 and 17, respectively.
The Riverhawks will continue on in the tournament and face Everett tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Men 8 p.m. Spokane Sasquatch 78, Clackamas Cougars 50
The Sasquatch came out shooting - and hearing the squish of the net. The team went up 14-4 in the early part of the game and continued to roll, going up by as much as 30 before finally settling on a 78-50 score. With the large lead and support of the crowd, the Sasquatch sharpened its shot for tomorrow and pleased its fans with some flashy shots as well. Clackamas continued to fight for the ball until the end, however, with extensive double team support provided by Cougar Jeff Sego.
Top scorers for the Cougars were JC Cook with 13 points followed up by Austin Dunn and Adam Brickley with 11. For the Sasquatch, Jordan Gregg knocked down 16 while Jon Clift added 12 and 6 assists. Matthew Dorr and Kyle Turpin supported with 10 points each.
Spokane will return tomorrow at 8 p.m. against Southwestern Oregon. Clackamas will see Peninsula at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Women 8 p.m. Columbia Basin Hawks 58, South Puget Sound Clippers 43
In a game dominated by Columbia Basin Hawks, the team's leading scorer, Brittany Cherry, knocked down 11 points. Her teammate, Karli Thomas, contributed 10.
South Puget Sound, playing with only six team members, had Whitney Titus' 18 points for the game's strongest showing. Dre Castanea and Alicia Richardson both topped double digits with 11 points.
Columbia Basin continues on in the winner bracket and will take on Walla Walla tomorrow at 8 p.m. South Puget Sound will face Centralia at 2 p.m.
Men 6 p.m. Yakima Yaks 70, Lower Columbia Red Devils 66
In-your-face play dominated the Lower Columbia - Yakima match-up. The number one ranked team in the West, the Devils tried not to disappoint in front of a vocal crowd of support. Although they lead early in the second half, the Yaks whittled away at the numbers on the scoreboard and with 45 seconds on the clock, the Devils found themselves down by one.
Yak guard Anthony Johnson took to the line after being fouled while driving in the lane, scoring two, and stetting up a score of 69-66. A bobbled ball sent Lower Columbia's chances into the backcourt. Full coverage by the Red Devils and an errant three point attempt resulted in no points for Lower Columbia and another foul put Yakina back on the line with 6 seconds remaining. The Yaks only made one of the baskets, but that's all they needed to convince the Devils the last six seconds weren't worth playing.
The combined forces of Red Devils leading scorers - Josh Troyer with 15, Alex King with 13 and Robert Edwards with 12 - weren't enough to overcome the highest scoring player of the game, Yak Anthony Johnson and his teammate Jody Johnson.
The Yaks win 70-66 and will face Umpqua tomorrow at 6 p.m. Look for Lower Columbia to try to beat Bellevue at 12 p.m.
Women 6 p.m. Spokane Sasquatch 60, Lower Columbia Devils 35
In front of a boisterous crowd, the Devils worked to whirl away from the Sasquatch. However, Spokane's might was too strong and the Sasquatch established a commanding lead that grew throughout the game.
Proving the depth of their bench, the Sasquatch had ten players on the scoring board. Kellee Neal lead with 11 points while Ashlee Michelson added 9. For the Red Devils, Rene Evans lead her team in scoring with 13 points.
The Sasquatch win 60-35 and will play again tomorrow at 6 p.m. against the defending champions, Lane. The Red Devils will get another chance to play in front of the hometown crowd at 12 p.m. against the Yakima Yaks.
Men 4 p.m. Umpqua Riverhawks 80, Bellevue Bulldogs 73
Although both teams furiously tried, neither the Bulldogs nor the Riverhawks could shake their rival hard enough for more than a one-basket lead for most of the game.
With under five minutes left in the game, the Riverhawks capitalized on the Bulldogs lax play. A half-court pass resulted in a layup for the hustling 'Hawks and a thrown-away ball gave Umpqua another chance to extend their lead to 67-60.
Dueling baskets increased the score by two on both ends and missed plays continued until 10 Umpqua took to the line to put two through the net.
Facing a nine point deficit with less than two minutes remaining, the Bulldogs turned to fouls and three point attempts to save time. However, it only delayed the inevitable.
For the Bulldogs, high scorers were Steve Wiseley with 19 points and Josh Monagle with 15. For the Riverhawks, Jarrad Childs scored the match high 22 points while Edwin Richardson knocked in 20.
The Umpqua Riverhawks advance by winning with a score of 80-73 and will play Saturday against either Lower Columbia or Yakima at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs will try to defeat the loser of tonight's game between Lower Columbia and Yakima tomorrow at 12 p.m.
Women 4 p.m. Lane Titans 78, Yakima Valley Yaks 75
The Yaks and the Titans met today at 4 p.m. for a heated rematch of last year's semifinal game. At the half, the Yaks had a five-point lead, however, the Titans struck first in the second part of the game to make up the difference and more. However, neither team was able to amass a large lead and with 4 minutes remaining in the game, the score remained tied.
A three point score from Lane, and the Yaks two-point response, put Lane up by one. A traded series of lay-ups and jump shots resulted in a 74-73 Lane score with 40 seconds left in the game. Yak Kaiti Harris threw the ball out of bounds as her receiving player ducked, giving the ball to Lane with 30 seconds to go.
A foul brought Nicole Morgan to the line to shoot two for the Titans and increase their lead to three. With 20 seconds left, the Yaks missed their shot and sent Mercedes Alexander to the line to maximize time.
Alexander responded by sinking her first shot, but missing her second. She attempted to get the rebound but fouled Kylie Shaw, who made both of her free throws to return to a one point game, 76-75 Lane.
Sloppy play by the Yaks resulted in a score by the hard driving Titans and the resulting series of fouls couldn't stop the clock or Lane from winning.
The Yaks were lead by the scoring of Andrea Bladgett with 21 points and 5 assists, and Alex Moore-Porter and Donjanique Baker with 11 points each.
The Titan's Mercedes Alexander scored 24 points with 5 assists. Valerie Meyer and Stephanie Stephens each contributed 15.
Lane wins 78-75 and will play again at 6 p.m. tomorrow against the winner of the Lower Columbia-Spokane match-up. The Yaks will try to unseat the loser of the same match-up Saturday at noon.
Men 2 p.m. Southwestern Oregon Lakers 89, Peninsula Pirates 84
The North division champion Peninsula Pirates versus the third-ranked team from the East, the Southwestern Oregon Lakers, resulted in a game fought tooth and nail from the beginning.
With the score close at halftime, both teams looked to come out blazing for the second twenty minutes of game time. Southwestern drew the early - and deepest - blood, taking a commanding nine point lead with as many minutes remaining in the game.
The physicality of the game resulted in foul outs on both sides with more than six minutes remaining. Feeling the pressure of the winding down clock, the Pirates capitalized on their opportunities by scoring threes and dropping their free throw shots through the net. With 1:30 left to play in the game, the score was 82-81, closer than it had been all night. On the line after a foul, Laker Matt Dance dropped one of his free throws through the net.
Peninsula's next possession resulted in a shot clock violation with 41 seconds on the clock. The quick fouls on Dance and Joseph Foster put them back on the line for four more quick points
The Pirates pulled themselves back into the game with a fantastic three point shot from the corner. However, in the resulting game of fouls, Dance sealed the deal with another two from the free throw line to extend the Lakers' lead.
Both teams pulled high baskets from multiple players. Emmanuel Olekaibe lead the Lakers and the game with 24. His teammate Joseph Foster racked up 19 points, and Kevin Reynolds contributed 15. Bobby Williams had the game’s only double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.
For the Pirates, Clay Greenland contributed 23 points, while his teammates Dominick Lozano and Christian Harris offered up 16 and 15, respectively. Jesse Bean had 10 points.
The Lakers upset the Pirates 89-84 and will play tomorrow at 8 p.m. against the victor of tonight's 8 p.m. game of Spokane versus Clackamas. The Pirates will continue their season against the loser of the same game at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Women 2 p.m. Walla Walla Warriors 68, Centralia Trailblazers 54
The Walla Walla Warriors had a lead over the Centralia Trailblazers going into the half. Thanks to the vocal support of their fans and shared high scoring play, the Warriors were able to both hold, and extend, their lead, maintaining a minimum 10 point lead for most of the second half.
The Warriors' scoring was lead by Brittanie Toone with 21 points, AJ Hawk with 18 points, including 12 from the line, and 10 from Allie Dreadfulwater.
The Lady Blazers high performers were Laci Mitchell with 13 and Deanna Riffe with 11 points.
The Walla Warriors win 68-54 and face the winner of tonight's 8 p.m. match-up between Columbia and South Puget Sound Saturday at 8 p.m.. Centralia will see the loser of the same game at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
Men 12 p.m. Whatcom Orcas 81, Lane Titans 76
The game started poorly for the Titans. Whatcom came out strong, scoring ten unanswered points before Lane finally came on the board five and half minutes in with a two point shot.
The Titans spent the next ten minutes redeeming their earlier play, tying the game on an aggressive slam dunk by Dominique Watson and taking the lead for the first time in the game with five minutes to go in the first half after a baseline score by Kyle Winkler.
Going into halftime, Whatcom scored a last second three to tie the game 38-38.
The second half was a battle of the baskets, resulting in a Whatcom lead by two with seven minutes to play. The fiercely aggressive game resulted in a knock against the basket that jarred the shot clock. Despite a valiant attempt at a temporary fix by a high-climbing game attendee, a more permanent solution was required and game play was suspended for ten minutes while the shot clock was re attached.
The teams took the time to refocus and Whatcom came out scoring, driving the lead to 7. Lane fought back, bringing the score within three before Whatcom dragged it back out to 7.
With under a minute and a half to play, Aric Wright scored a three to give the Titans hope with a score of 73-70. However, a series of forced fouls again extended the Orca lead, this time to 76-70.
With 30 seconds on the clock, Wright stepped up to the plate, sinking a three and once more reducing the lead to three, 76-73. Despite Whatcom'Lane s attempts to play keep away, they were quickly fouled and Zac Andrus came up to the line, scoring on the first free throw. The second rolled around the hoop before rolling off. Whatcom won the battle of the boards, and again took to the line, where solid free throw shooting let them keep and extend their lead in the last seconds of the game.
Lane's leading scorers were Dominique Watson with 23 points and Stephen Christensen with 10. Whatcom owes much of its success to Zach Henifin who was perfect on his 10 free throw attempts and 9/13 from field goal range for a total of 32 points. Zac Andus also added 17 points to the score.
Whatcom wins 81-75 and will take on Big Bend tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Women 12 p.m. Bellevue Bulldogs 83, Linn-Benton Road Runners 71
With five minutes remaining in the half, the Road Runners and Bulldogs were duking it out with a score tied at 26. However, a jump shot from Road Runner Emily Irwin, followed up by two points in the paint from her teammate Jessica Vorpahl and another two from the line, set Linn-Benton on a roll. Heading into halftime, Linn-Benton sat on top 37-31.
Coming out of the mid-game break, Bellevue took control, with a solid distribution of high scoring, pulling away in dominating fashion by the end of the game.
For the Road Runners, the leading scorers were Katelyn White with 20 points and Destiny Neuenschwander with 15. For the Bulldogs, Andrea Gansz lead with 20 points, followed by Danielle Bue's 17, Lyndsee Landon's 15, Marissa Bower's 12 and Kaneshia Brooks' 11 scores.
Bellevue wins 83-71 and will take on the Seattle Storm tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Men 10 a.m. Big Bend Vikings 75, Grays Harbor Chokers 70
The game between the Big Bend and Grays Harbor Chokers was within five with the same number of minutes to play. However, Big Ben scored rapidly, extending the score to 66-57 with minus three minutes to play. An aggressive layup by Grays Harbor brought the score to 66-59.
Nick Schultens nailed a three for the Chokers, bringing the point difference to four. Big Bend almost threw the ball away only to double dribble and turn the ball over to Grays Harbor.
Cameron Edison missed his two-point attempt. Big Bend snagged the rebound and called a timeout as Viking Daley Landon was falling out of bounds.
When time resumed, Viking Will Winn did his best to kill time. He drew a foul from Josh Hawks, missing the free shot. However, Grays Harbor swatted the ball out of bounds. Two more consecutive fouls on Grays Harbor brought Winn to the line where he sunk one to extend the lead 67-62.
Aggressive play by both teams resulted in yet another foul by Grays Harbor. A technical foul was then called on Schultens, who fouled out of the game with 15 points.
Landon made both technical free throws for the Vikings and one more point brought the score to 70-62 with only 35 seconds to play
Greys Harbor wasn't going to end their season without a fight, however, Edison drilled a three with 29 seconds to go. A forced foul sent Landon back to the foul line, where he added another point on the board.
The ball was put back into the hands of Edison, who responded with yet another three point shot with the score 71-68 and 20 seconds to go. Big Bend then scored two on non-aggressive play by Greys Harbor - possibly as the result of a coach calling time out, but with no whistle from the officials to end play.
Edison again took possession of the ball and was fouled while going for his hat trick of threes. After sinking two of the shots, he brought his team within 3.
Unfortunately, the time was against the Chokers and another foul brought Winn back to the line for the Vikings. His two points with 8 seconds in the game placed it out of Grays Harbor's grasp.
Edison lead the Chokers in points with 17. Courtney Breach contributed 14, along with 4 steals. For the Vikings, Daley Landon scored an impressive 24 points while James York and Winn each added another 10 to the board.
Big Bend wins 75-70 and advances to play the winner of the Lane/Whatcom matchup tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Women 10 a.m. Seattle Storm 99, Grays Harbor Chokers 46
After a disappointing loss yesterday, Grays Harbor had an equally difficult game today versus the Seattle Storm. Down by 23 at halftime, the Storm's lead only grew in the second half of the game.
Sarah Sides lead the Chokers with 9 points and 5 assists. For the Storm, four players were in double digits. Kayla Bennett was on fire, dropping down 9 of 12 from the field for 23 total points. Sherika Puckett added her own 20 and 11 assists. Chiaki Nakamura contributed 16 points while Amber Hering set up her teammates to make the shots with 12 assists and 9 points of her own. Hiroe Chiba also put 10 points on the board.
Seattle wins 99-46 and will play the winner of the Linn-Benton/Bellevue match-up tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Men 8 a.m. Treasure Valley Chukars 73, Highline Thunderbirds 63
The Treasure Valley Chukars at the Highline Thunderbirds kicked off the second day of the NWAACC basketball championship
The teams traded baskets throughout the first half, and we were within three points of each other going into halftime.
Both teams were willing to take risks to wrest control of the game, with plentiful three-point attempts. Highline was more successful finding the net, putting the pressure on Chukars and forcing Treasure Valley into sloppy play. Highline capitalized on the fouls with mixed results at the free throw line, slowly building their lead while the Chukars continued to turn over the ball and make desperate attempts to sink their own threes.
The Chukars were not able to close down the gap created by the steamrolling Thunderbirds. Mychal Harris scored 11 points for the Chukars while Shane Miller lead the team with 18 points. For the Thunderbirds, Steadman Richardson lead with 16 points, supported by Coby Gibler's 14 and Shedrick Nelson's 11.
Final score Highline 73, Treasure Valley 63. Highline advances to play Saturday, March 1.
Women 8 a.m. Everett Trojans 77, Clackamas Cougars 71
At halftime, the Trojans lead the Cougars by a seemingly insurmountable 16 points. However, the Cougars battled back to draw within two with under four minutes remaining in the game.
An Everett steal lead to a basket by Kristina Schumacher, putting the Trojans up by four with three minutes to go. Clackamas quickly responded with two points of their own to again bring the score within a basket, 71-67.
After an Everett timeout with 1:25 to go, Schumacher came out to sink a basket as the shot clock ran down.
Rachel Copeland toed the 3-point line while shooting her own two-point response and Clackamas quickly took a time out.
With 54 seconds remaining, Keena Hopkins entered back in the game, running a blitz play and killing time. Brooke Russell was able to drive in the paint and take her own basket. With the Trojans leading 75-71, Cougar Kelsey New was charged with an offensive foul. Schumacher sunk her two resulting free throws to extend the lead 77-71.
Clackamas' Copeland failed in her three-point attempt and the resulting rebound gave the ball back to Everett, who let the time wind down.
For the Cougars, Copeland lead the team with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, including 8 three-point shots. Monique Tribble scored 17 points.
For the Trojans, Schumacher was the top scorer with 22 points while Keena Hopkins nailed down 21. Brooke Russell and Bryna Trescott each contributed 12.
Everett wins 77-71 and advances to play tomorrow.
2008 NWAACC Championship Stats
February 29, 2008
NWAACC Championships - Game Recaps Thursday, Feb 28 MEN Clackamas 93 South Puget Sound 71 South Puget Sound held a two point edge at 41-39 during the intermission, but Clackamas outscored the Clippers 54-30 en route to a 93-71 victory. Clackamas' Austin Dunn and J. C. Cook combined on 51 points. Dunn was especially hot making 11 of 14 from the field and Cook picked up 8 points from the charity stripe. Jeff Sego also picked up double digits with 14 points and dished four assists. Adam Brickley and company controlled the paint as Brickley had 9 boards while three other Cougars finished with eight. Four Clippers tallied double digit scoring led by Jonny Saryaz who had 15. Michael DeRosier had 14, Chris Scott 13, and Michael Brumsey 12. Brumsey and Nigel Moore combined on 17 boards while Scott dished a game high eight assists. Clackamas advances to play top-ranked Spokane at 8pm on Friday while the Clippers will take on Everett at 10pm in a must win game for both squads. WOMEN S. Puget Sound 63 Umpqua 77 The Riverhawks took control midway through the first half and held 13 point half time lead 39-26. After the intermission the Riverhawks continued to lead until midway through the second when the Clippers turned on the heat to win the contest 77-63. The Clippers did so by outscoring the Riverhawks by 27 points in the half. Whitney Titus was the Clippers' leading scorer with 23 and Dre Castaneda added another 21. Titus and Megan Sanders gathered 6 boards apiece while Kiara Honore tallied four assists. Castaneda played strong defense and picked the Riverhawks for four steals. Cassie Scheffelmaier led the Riverhawks with 17 points and Kristi Fallin chipped in another 13 along with her game high 10 boards. South Puget Sound will advance and take on Columbia Basin at 8pm Friday evening while Umpqua will play Skagit Valley in the consolation bracket at 10pm. Lower Columbia turned up the gas in the second period and increased the margin to 16 at one point and sailed to a 74-61 win. Marice Tolliver led the Red Devils in scoring with 18 and Alex king and Robert Edwards combined for 22 more. Tolliver also paced the team in rebounds with nine and blocks with three. Robert Edwards dished out four assists. Dominique Watson was the game's high scorer with 19 and Brent Jones and Travon Mouton chipped in another 21 for the Titans. Watson also led in rebounds with nine and him and three steals. The win sends Lower Columbia into tomorrow's 6pm game against Yakima Valley while Lane will attempt to stay alive against Whatcom in a must win game for both clubs at 12pm. WOMEN Columbia Basin 85 Skagit Valley 63 Brittany Cherry had a dynamite game as she tallied 26 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for the Hawks. Nikki Depeel and Monique Wickenhagen combined on 23 points and Depeel and Alexandria Allen had five assists apiece. For the Cardinals, Caite Newman, Britni Chalbot and Corrina Sharick were all in double digit scoring. Sharick also totaled 11 boards and Alysssa Hendrickson had four assists. The Hawks advance to play the winner of the Umpqua - S. Puget Sound match up at 8pm on Friday and Skagit Valley will be pitted against the loser of that game at 10pm Friday. MEN Spokane 76 Everett 63 Matt Dorr and Jordan Gregg ranked up 24 points apiece to lead the Sasquatch scoring. Gregg also had a big game in the paint as he finished with 19 boards along with Robert Lippman's 10. Dorr also collected five assists and four steals. Jon Moe lead the Titans with 26 points and Stephen Waltman added 12 more along with his 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Chris Gounds dished five assists and picked three steals. Spokane advances to play the winner of the Clackamas - South Puget Sound game on 8pm on Friday while Everett will take on the loser of that game at 10pm Friday. WOMEN Lower Columbia 81 Linn-Benton 59 Five Red Devils scored in double figures led by Katie Garcin with 19. Nadra Evens had an incredible game scoring 12 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and seven steals. Rene Evans led LCC rebounders with seven boards and guard Jesse Hanna collected five assists and six steals. Jessica Vorpahl led the Roadrunner attack with 14 points, thirteen rebounds and three steals. Destiny Neunshcwander and Kati Quigley also chipped in 9 points apiece. The win propels Lower Columbia against Spokane at 6pm Friday while Linn-Benton takes on Bellevue in the consolation bracket at 12pm on Friday. MEN Umpqua 68 Grays Harbor 63 Umpqua kept Grays Harbor at bay until late in the contest when the Chokers made a surge to take the lead by three with less than 4 minutes remaining. The Riverhawks then went on another scoring spree to take a five point win 68-63. Kenan Dizdarevic, Tyler Barnes, Edwin Richardson and Jarrad Childs all finished with double figures for the Riverhawks; Dizdarevic lead the group with 21 points. Barnes and Richardson tag teamed the middle and collected a combined 26 rebounds. Jarred Childs robbed the Chokers for six steals. Cameron Edison scored 20 on 62.5 percent shooting for the Chokers while Brad Hodge and Nick Schultens added 13 apiece. Edison pulled down 10 boards and Courtney Beach dished 6 assists. Umpqua advances to take on Bellevue at 4pm on Friday while Grays Harbor will attempt to stay alive in the consolation bracket against Big Bend at 10am on Friday. WOMEN Walla Walla 66 Everett 64 The Warriors were lead by Katie Strunk's 18 points, Tabor's 14 and Toone's 10. Strunk was huge on the boards with 17 rebounds and four steals while Dreadfulwater dished five assists. Everett's Kristina Schumacher ripped the nets for 32 points and Oliana Seanoa grabbed 9 boards for the Trojans. Keena Hopkins distributed five assists and grabbed four steals. The Warriors (8-6, 22-6) will advance to play Centralia at 2pm on Friday while Everett will take on Clackamas in a must- win situation in the consolation bracket at 8am Friday. MEN Peninsula 88 Treasure Valley 70 The Pirates got things ironed out in the locker room and return to play with passion, outscoring the Chukars 49-26 to take a 88-70 win. Dominick Lozano led the Pirates with 23 points while Jesse Bean and Clay Greenland added 18 and 17 points each. Christian Harris dominated the key with 12 boards and Greenland grabbed nine more. Harris and Greenland also snatched four steals apiece. Treasure Valley's Shane Miller was the game's top scorer with 27 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Josh Smith and Kyle Hart combined to pull down 13 rebounds for the Chukars. Peninsula advances to play Southwestern Oregon at 2pm on Friday while TreasureValley and Highline will meet in the consolation bracket for a chance to stay alive in the tournament at 8am on Friday. Sheena Cole and Jennifer Kimbrow led the Titans scorers with 15 points each and Mercedes Alexander and Nicole Morgan combined for 23 more. Four Titans had six boards and eight had two or more steals in the contest. Kellie Read led the Chokers with 13 points and Sarah Sides collected six boards and three assists. Lauren Harris picked the Titans for three steals. Lane will advance to play Yakima Valley at 4pm Friday in a rematch of last year's championship game while Grays Harbor and Seattle will battle to stay alive in the Tournament at 10am on Friday.
MEN Yakima Valley 81 Whatcom 71 The second half was a back and forth affair as the two clubs traded leads until the 7:43 mark when the Yaks began to pull ahead and eventually sealed the win 81-71. Nico Sandovall and Anothony Johnson combined for 49 points as both shot 50% from the floor for the Yaks. Ben Wilson added 11 and LeMar Anglin 10. Jody Johnson had a monster game in the paint with 17 rebounds and three steals while Sandoval and Johnson collected six assists each and a combined seven steals. Zach Henifin and Ryan Christensen tallied 39 points for the Orcas. Christensen and Zac Andus pulled down six boards apiece and Henifin dished out six assists and four blocked shots. Yalima Valley will advance to meet the winner of the Lower Columbia - Lane game on Friday at 6pm. The Orcas will drop to the consolation bracket to play the loser of that contest at 12pm on Friday. WOMEN Spokane 58 Bellevue 47 The Bulldogs kept pace with the Sasquatch in the second but couldn't overcome the first half deficit in a 58-47 Spokane win. Michelson and Kellee Neal combined on 25 points to lead Spokane. Michelson also led the rebounders with 10 while Eleaya Schuerch and Liz Beardslee had four assists apiece. Marissa Bower led the Bulldogs with 14 on 6 of 9 shooting while Brianna Lewis and Ashanii Lewis combined for 23 more. Bower also led the team in rebounds with seven and Kaneshia Brooks tallied four assists. Lewis, Brooks and Alicia Tennyson combined on seven steals. With the win, Spokane advances to play the winner of the Lower Columbia - Linn-Benton game at 6pm on Friday. Bellevue moves on to the consolation bracket to face the Lower Columbia - Linn-Benton loser on Friday at 12pm WOMEN Yakima Valley 94 Seattle 69 The Yaks had four players in double digit scoring lead by Brittany Weaver's 21 points and Alex Moore-Porter's 16. Moore-Porter and Kylie Shaw tallied eight boards apiece while Chelsey Nill distributed six assists. Gena Woodke and Andrea Bladgett contributed on defense with four steals each. The Storm's Kayla Bennett was the game's high scorer with 27 points. Chiaki Nakamura and Sherika Puckett combined on another 22 points while Bennett and Candace Grettenberger pulled down 24 rebounds for the Storm. Nakamura also dished out five assists and stole five Yak balls. Yakima Valley will advance to meet the winner of the Lane- Grays Harbor game Friday at 4pm. Seattle moves to the consolation bracket and will meet the Lane - grays Harbor loser Friday at 10am. Men Bellevue 86 Big Bend 84 OT The Vikings performed a 180 degree turn around in the second and tied the contest at 78 when the final buzzer sounded. Michael Duty got the Bulldogs off to a great start with two buckets in the opening minutes of the five minute overtime and Bellevue held on to win 86-84. Duty led the Bulldogs with 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting. Josh Monagle added 19 and Steve Winsley 11. Duty was all over the floor for Bellevue pulling down 10 boards along with his four assists and three steals. Cameron Mero was top scorer for Big Bend with 26 on 7 of 13 shooting and three from beyond the arc. Daley Landon was also hot with 23 on 7 of 11 shooting and four 3 pointers. Kolby Secrist grabbed eight boards James York tallied five assists. Mero was also all over the Bulldog offense with five take-aways. Bellevue will meet the winner of the Umpqua - Grays Harbor game on Friday at 4pm while Big Bend will meet the loser in the consolation bracket at 10am.
Men The Lakers continued to hold the lead in the second, increasing the margin by 10 with 12 minutes remaining. Highline hung close and reduced the lead to two with four minutes left but couldn't contain the Lakers in a 72-64 decision. Joseph Foster led the Lakers scorers with 19 and Emmanuel Olekaibe added 16. Olekaibe had seven rebounds and Matt Dance chipped in another six. Bobby Watkins led the attack with seven assists. For Highline, Jesse Norris led the scorers with 13 while Cody Thueringer and Shedrick Nelson combined on 21. Stedman Richardson and Coby Gibler both had nine boards. Norris tagged two blocks in the contest. SW Oregon advances to play the winner of Peninsula - Treasure Valley tomorrow at 2pm while Highline will move to the consolation bracket to play the of loser at 8am. WOMEN Centralia 58 Clackamas 44 After holding a comfortable lead for much of the second period, the Cougars pulled back to within three, but that just re ignited Centralia as they ripped off another big lead to win 58-43. Atcheson was the scoring leader for Centralia with 18 while Megan Peabody tallied 12 of her own. Deanna Riffe was huge on the boards, pulling down ten and Mandy McFadden grabbed seven more. Atcheson and Alysha Kofstad dished four assist each. Rachel Copeland scored 18 for the Cougars and Monique Tribble chipped in 12. Jill Niebergall led the Clackamas rebounders with nine while Tribble and Ashley Cunningham combined on 13 more. The Trailblazers advances to take on the winner of the Walla Walla - Everett game at 2pm tomorrow while Clackamas will move to the consolation bracket to play the loser at 8am tomorrow.
February 28, 2008
It was a close game with several lead changes - nine to be precise, until there was 13 minutes left in the contest and the Clackamas Cougars (9-5, 18-12) got hot on the perimeter and Clippers (9-7, 14-14) couldn't keep pace.
South Puget Sound (13-3, 17-9) may not have the tallest team or the deepest bench, but they showed the South #2 seed Umpqua Riverhawks (11-3, 25-5) they came to win.
MEN Lower Columbia 74 Lane 61
West #1 seed Lower Columbia (14-2, 22-7) got a quick lead and steadily built on it over the course of the game. Lane (7-7, 16-14) kept the game close and only trailed the Red Devils by three at the half 31-28.
Top-ranked Columbia Basin (14-0, 25-3) got off to a fast start and never trailed North #4 seed Skagit Valley (11-5, 19-9). The Hawks built a 17 point lead at the half and cruised the rest of the way in a 85-63 win..
North #4 seed Everett (12-4, 20-9) hung close for a half then the top-ranked Spokane Sasquatch (14-0, 28-1) stole the show as they opened a serious lead in the second and maintained it for a 13 point victory.
The Lower Columbia Red Devils (14-2, 22-6) only trailed for a brief few moments in the opening minutes then proceeded to show why they were the West's top seed as they soundly defeated South #4 seed Linn-Benton (8-6, 16-13).
The West fourth seed Grays Harbor Chokers () had the South top seed Umpqua Riverhawks () on the ropes midway through the first period with a 10 point lead, but the Riverhawks stuck around to tie the contest at 37 going into the half.
There was only one lead change in the game - and it occurred in the last 18 seconds of the game. In what was arguably the biggest upset of the tournament so far, Walla Walla trailed the entire game until Ali Tabor sank a three-pointer that tied the game and got the Warrior crowd in a frenzy. Brittanie Toone then followed up with another field goal seconds later to seal the upset victory for the Warriors. Allie Dreadfulwater assisted on both winning shots.
The Peninsula Pirates (13-3, 23-7) came into the game a #1 seed and it looked for awhile that they were going to make an early exit to the consolation bracket. The Treasure Valley Chukars (6-8, 9-18), the East #4, seed was holding their own with the Pirates and were up by 13 at one point in the first half and were up 44-39 heading into the break.
WOMEN Lane 91 Grays Harbor 32
The two-time defending champion Lane Titans (14-0, 27-3) came out of the gates smoking and completely smothered the Grays Harbor Chokers (8-9, 9-18). The Titans possessed a 38 points half time advantage and increased that to 59 by the final buzzer.
The Whatcom Orcas (12-4, 20-8) held a small lead over the Yakima Valley Yaks (9-5, 21-7) for most of the first period and took a 31-29 advantage into the locker room at the half.
The Bellevue Bulldogs (12-4, 17-12) kept it a close game until midway through the first half when the Spokane Sasquatch (10-4, 20-7) began to increase the scoring margin between the two squads. Spokane took a comfortable first half lead of 34-23 on the hot hands of Ashlee Michelson who had 13 in the period.
The Yakima Valley Yaks (11-3, 24-5) jumped out quick, taking a 51-28 half time lead and were never threatened cruising to an easy 94-69 win over the Seattle Storm (12-4, 19-9).
The Bellevue Bulldogs (12-4, 21-8) established an early lead and took a 45-34 half time lead over the Big Bend Vikings (10-4, 21-7).
SW Oregon 72
Highline 64
The Southwestern Oregon Lakers (9-5, 21-9) and Highline Thunderbirds (12-4, 17-12) traded leads in the first half with Southwestern taking a four point lead into the locker room up 30-26.
It was a close contest until the Centralia Trailblazers (14-2, 24-6) began to gradually pull away from the Clackamas Cougars (9-5, 19-10) with just less than 11 minutes remaining in the first half. The Trailblazers took a 25-19 half time lead sparked by Amanda Atcheson's eight first period points.
2008 Basketball Brackets - Updated The 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championship brackets have been updated with first round pairings. See links below.
February 25, 2008
NWAACC Basketball Final Polls Spokane Men consensus top pick all season Big Bend (10-4, 21-6) holds in the fifth position and Highline (12-4, 17-11) makes their poll debut at number 6. A host of North Division squads occupy the final two spots; 2007 NWAACC Championship runner-up Bellevue (12-4, 20-8) reenters the poll in the seventh spot while Whatcom (12-4, 20-8) and Everett (12-4, 20-8) tie for eighth. [view poll] Lane grabs top votes from Columbia Basin Umpqua (11-3, 25-4) holds at number three while 2007 NWAACC Championship runner-up Yakima Valley (11-3, 23-5) remains in the number four spot. North Division Champion Everett (14-2, 21-7) and Spokane (10-4, 19-7) trade positions in the fifth and sixth spots. Centralia (14-2, 23-6) holds at number seven and Seattle (12-4, 19-8) enters the poll at number eight. [view poll]
February 24, 2008
Spokane (14-0, 27-1) have been the unanimous number 1 pick all season long in the Horizon Air/Coaches Poll. The only blemish on the Sasquatch's record was an early December six-point loss to #3 Peninsula. South Division Champion Umpqua (12-2, 22-6) holds their #2 ranking for the second consecutive week. After a dip to sixth last week, North Division Champion Peninsula (13-3, 22-7) rises back to third in the final poll. West Division Champion Lower Columbia (14-2, 21-7) drops a spot to round out the top four.
After a week as the consensus top pick, Columbia Basin (14-0, 24-3) gets some heat from the two-time defending NWAACC Champions Lane (14-0, 26-3). The Hawks collected six first place votes to remain the top pick for the third consecutive poll. The Titans tallied two top votes and remain in the second spot. In their only meeting this season, Columbia Basin won a 78-70 decision over Lane in a late December tournament.
NWAACC Basketball Tournament Ticket Prices The Toyota Center is selling tournament passes through TicketMaster this year. Tournament passes can be purchased prior through Wednesday, February 27 for $25 per tournament at TicketMaster, GI Joe and Fred Meyer locations in the Tri-Cities and at the Toyota Center ticket office. Here is the TicketMaster link Ticket Prices during the tournament Day Passes
February 21, 2008
4-Day Tournament Pass $31
$11 - Adults
$7 - Students/Seniors (60 and above)/Staff/Military
$5 - 7-12 years old
Free- 6 and under
Video Services at the Event (Game DVDs & more)
Do you have a Skillshow? Skillshow (www.skillshow.com) will be at the event filming ALL games! Subscribe to www.skillshow.com with a Basketball ACT System 'Level 3' account (Online athletic resume for $15.95/mo.) and get a FREE Game DVD! Just tell us your Athlete ID & choose the Game Film you want…its that easy! To order your DVD copies of the games, or to get a personalized 'highlight' video, from the NWAACC Championships, you can find the order form Link here. Complete the Order Form and present it at the booth or fax it to 206-343-6601 (Skillshow Seattle). DVDs can be available for pick up at the event for those players, parents, or others, or they can be mailed to you. Good Luck! Skillshow, Inc. 206-652-1288
February 19, 2008
NWAACC Winter All-Academic Teams Announced To be nominated athletes must meet the following requirements:
February 12, 2008
NWAACC Winter All-Academic Teams
Men's Basketball [print version]
Mike Bagby
3.95
Whatcom
Adam Brickley
3.46
Clackamas
Josh Broussard
3.60
Highline
Ryan Christensen
3.40
Whatcom
Jon Clift
3.63
Spokane
Ryan Goodwin
3.68
Treasure Valley
Scott Halasz
3.44
Pierce
Kenneth Rice
3.27
Chemeketa
Jeffrey Sego
3.61
Clackamas
Brett Vriesman
3.35
Big Bend
Bobby Watkins
3.80
Southwestern Oregon
Steven Willis
3.38
Tacoma
Rob Wood