From Pullman -- Rejoice, anti-Bone blog commenters. Your long-awaited day is at an end. Washington State athletic director Bill Moos fired basketball coach Ken Bone earlier this morning in the fifth-year of his seven-year contract. No word yet on who his replacement may be, but…
Gonzaga has faced its share of adversity this season: injuries, come-from-ahead losses, tough road trips. Nearly every team goes through it. Oklahoma State, GU's opponent Friday in the NCAA tournament, experienced the extremes of college basketball's four-and-a-half month grind. More on OSU's season here.
A GRIP ON SPORTS Thanks to the magic of the "first round," the NCAA tournament begins tonight. Imagine, being picked on Sunday night, flying to Dayton on a Monday and then playing on a Tuesday. Lots of prep time contained in there. And lots of…
From Pullman -- That 36-game losing streak to Washington? It wasn't even the longest drought the Washington State women ended this season. No, yesterday's invitation to the WNIT means WSU will be making its first postseason trip in women's basketball in 23 years. The Cougars…
A GRIP ON SPORTS It's random thoughts time. The subject: March Madness. To be more precise, the field of 68. Read on.
From Pullman -- It's St. Patrick's Day and you know what that means? This year it means March Madness is officially upon us. The NCAA tournament bracket has officially been set and followers of our Washington State and Pac-12 coverage can compete with other readers…
Eighth-seeded Gonzaga will open the NCAA Tournament against No. 9 Oklahoma State on Friday in San Diego. Here's my article on the matchup that will run in Monday's S-R. I checked in with Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge at the WCC Tournament for this update…
From Pullman -- Well, Tony Bennett and WSU each got their first No. 1 seed. Unfortunately for Washington State fans, Bennett is coaching the Virginia Cavaliers and Wichita State University is the only WSU on this year's bracket. Throw in the fact that former Cougars…
A GRIP ON SPORTS What was it your gramma used to tell you made up the paving material on the road to perdition? Ya, we had those today. Read on.
From Las Vegas -- If you'll recall, the last team to beat UCLA was pesky Washington State. It's likely, therefore, that the Cougars played some small role in UCLA's victory over Arizona last night in the Pac-12 tournament championship game. Whether WSU's upset humbled the…
Before Western Hockey League games started on Saturday evening, the Spokane Chiefs didn't know if they would play Seattle, Everett or Victoria to open postseason play. But the hot streak of Everett, which hasn't lost in regulation during its last 12 games, moved the Silvertips…
Spokane got off to a slow start, spotting Iowa nine points in the first 4 minutes, but dominated the rest of the way and crushed Iowa 64-35 on Saturday at the Arena. Here's a link to my game story, Dan Pelle's photos and John Blanchette's…
Idaho's late-season mojo was no match for New Mexico State's size and athleticism. The Vandals' best conference tournament showing in more than two decades ended one win shy of an NCAA tournament bid on Saturday when they fell quietly to New Mexico State, 77-55, in…
S-R photojournalist Dan Pelle covered the Spokane Shock vs. Iowa Barnstormers game in the AFL opener. Check out this big picture gallery of game photos.
Spokane opens the 2014 AFL season at home against Iowa tonight. AFL openers haven't been kind to the Shock. They're 1-3 in lid-lifters, including a loss to Milwaukee in the 2010 season-opener. That team, once 2-2, finished 16-3 and won the ArenaBowl. Here's my preview…
A GRIP ON SPORTS For most schools, just the idea of getting into the NCAA tournament is the Holy Grail of the season. That's why, for those schools, the conference tournament week is just as much fun – and more pressure-filled – than the rest…
From Las Vegas -- I'm still here in Vegas (alack!) serving as a sort of reporter-talisman for the Idaho men's and women's basketball teams, which have both made it to today's WAC tournament finals so indulge me for linking my game stories from the men's…
The chase for home-ice advantage in the Western Hockey League playoffs heated up Friday as the Spokane Chiefs edged the Tri-City Americans 4-3 in a shootout while Seattle lost and Everett won. Read story
Suddenly, everything is coming together for the Idaho men's basketball team. One more win, and it will find itself in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 24 years. The fifth-seeded Vandals showed poise in crunch time to knock off No. 1 seed Utah…
The Western Hockey League is honoring Spokane Chiefs dentist Dr. Mary Smith with a distinguished service award for nearly 30 years of working with the club. Dr. Smith will be honored before the Chiefs' home game with Tri-City, which begins in a little more than…
A GRIP ON SPORTS If you had any doubts professional sports can spawn a true rivalry, then put them away. Now. We have proof. Read on.
Idaho's ineptitude in the WAC tournament? It's history. Senior Stephen Madison put in a masterful performance and his teammates stepped up in the final minutes as the Vandals vanquished the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 73-70, in the quarterfinals of the WAC tourney in Las Vegas.…
The Western Hockey League released the latest status on the Kootenay Ice's Tim Bozon, who is in intensive care with meningitis. Read story
A GRIP ON SPORTS I had to be out of the house last night but I made sure the DVR was rolling for Washington State's basketball game with Stanford at the Pac-12 tournament. After all, I didn't want to miss a game with such significance.…
Since joining the WAC, the Idaho men's basketball team has won one conference tournament game, and that was an opening round affair in 2007. The Vandals are 1-7 in the event all-time and 0-5 under Don Verlin. But Idaho's postseason struggles go back even further:…
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Vince Grippi's daily take on all things regional sports has been moved to our main sports section online. You can find a collection of these columns here.
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