Reardan, Dragons Earn Titles

Northeast B

Near midseason, after successive losses to three Bi-County League teams, the Reardan girls were 7-6 and picking up detractors.

The Indians never lost the faith, however, as Saturday’s 59-49 upset of third-ranked Wilbur-Creston can attest.

Senior Lisa Bocook scored 25, including back-to-back layups after steals in the fourth quarter, as the Indians (17-7) won the District 7-B championship game at Spokane Falls Community College. Reardan is a five-time district champ; the last time in 1991.

The Wildcats (22-2) had a 14-game win streak snapped, which included a 59-39 rout and a 50-49 thriller over Reardan. W-C still hasn’t won a district title.

“When we lost the three straight, people said we weren’t that good, but I knew we had some injuries (most notably to Bocook and senior Brenda Rohner),” said Reardan’s third-year coach, Bryce Wilson.

Rohner dogged W-C’s Jessica Martin and held the star senior to 11 shots from the floor and 13 points.

“We’ve brought up our confidence level and just decided to attack them,” said Bocook, who hit 10 of 18 field goals and had six steals.

Katie Supinger scored 10 first-quarter points to lift Reardan to a 16-8 lead. Bocook and Jacqui Holwegner provided steals, assists and points during a 10-1 second-quarter run that buried W-C 28-13.

Whenever the Wildcats rallied after that, Bocook’s shots steadied the Indians. Her steals and breakaways came after a 10-point bulge had been trimmed to three. Supinger fouled out early in the fourth quarter, but replacement Kristen Turner held tough for 11 rebounds.

W-C’s Janelle Allen scored 15.

Reardan 59, Wilb.-Creston 49

Reardan 16 15 14 14 - 59

Wilbur-Creston 10 13 13 13 - 49

REARDAN Bocook 25, Krupke 2, Schwartz 0, C.Jayne 0, Holwegner 8, Guhlke 3, Rohner 9, Soliday 0, Turner 0, Supinger 12.

WILBUR-CRESTON Allen 15, Llewellyn 2, Deahl 2, Martin 13, Erickson 0, L.Arden 2, H.Arden 3, Kunz 2, Bandy 10.

St. George’s 59, ACH 50

Dawn Trowbridge had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Dragons (20-7) built a double-digit lead in the third quarter on the way to ousting the Warriors (16-9) and qualifying for a fifth straight trip to state.

Jaime Appling scored 17 on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and Melissa Harvill added 10 rebounds for St. George’s, which had played in the last four district title games.

“Our main feeling is huge elation,” said SG coach Ross Thomas, “but I feel terrible for (ACH).

“I think we can go a ways (at state), but for us this was like winning a state title.”

ACH senior Christine Peterson scored 29, including 11 of 15 from the line, and had eight rebounds. ACH’s Laci Hunsaker added six assists.

St. George’s 16 10 17 16 - 59

ACH 16 9 7 18 - 50

ST. GEORGE’S Davis 10, Boutz 0, Webster 0, De Niro 0, Swift 2, Trowbridge 18, Routh-Corker 10, Appling 17, Harvill 2.

ALMIRA/COULEE-HARTLINE Ke.Horter 0, L.Malone 2, Rock 2, Dormaier 2, Peterson 29, Hunsaker 6, White 8, Ka.Horter 1.

Boys

St. George’s 59, NWC 53

Meng Tseng scored eight first-quarter points to guide an 18-7 start and the seventh-ranked Dragons (24-2) played tough defense inside to beat the Cruaders (17-10) for their first district title.

NWC posts Jeremy Affeldt and Andy Crouch had combined for nearly 40 points per tourney game, but the Dragons held the duo to 16. The Dragons’ Christian Laugen shadowed Affeldt, who scored six of his 10 in the final 5:49.

“I think we exploited their weaknesses,” said coach Jennifer Mountain, whose Dragons have won 20 straight.

Jason Ala scored six points during a 2-minute spree in the second quarter for a 35-26 lead. He and Laugen also directed a 10-0 third-quarter run.

“I think it’s been hard for teams to scout us because someone new is always stepping up,” said Ala, a senior who played on the ‘93 state team.

An Affeldt basket cut the lead to 55-50 with 58 seconds left, but Dylan Averett and Tseng, who shared game honors with 14 points, both made 2 of 2 from the line to dethrone the defending champs.

“Everyone said this was going to be a rebuilding year,” Mountain said. “I knew we’d be good … but I can’t necessarily say I thought we’d be in the district title game.”

NW Christian 14 14 7 18 - 53

St. George’s 22 13 12 12 - 59

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN Mortlock 0, West 13, Marr 13, McCormick 9, Affeldt 10, Klaja 2, Crouch 6, Smith 0.

ST. GEORGE’S Tseng 14, Kennedy 8, Kuney 2, Ala 11, Charbonneau 0, Laugen 10, Averett 14.

ACH 48, Republic 35

Aaron Murray scored 21 on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and the fifth-ranked Warriors (20-4) used a 21-4 getaway to eliminate the eighth-ranked Tigers (22-5) and return to the state tourney.

Cameron Carstensen and Jason Pierce had four assists apiece for ACH, which starts four juniors.

Mark Rickard and Jason Baldwin, who combined for 28 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the third quarter to trim ACH’s lead to eight. Murray and Carstensen responded with baskets to stop the rally.

Rickard added 10 rebounds for a tourney-best 42.

“The kids went out with a lot of heart,” said ACH coach Jim Wacker. “I told them, ‘What would you rather do Wednesday morning (the first day of state), go to school or check into a motel?”’

Republic 4 10 14 7 - 35

ACH 17 11 12 8 - 48

REPUBLIC Michaels 0, Finlay 0, Rickard 16, Baldwin 12, Da.Hanks 3, De.Hanks 0, Eich 0, Burt 0, Grimm 0, Kuchenmeister 4, Wilson 0.

ALMIRA/COULEE-HARTLINE Pierce 0, Murray 21, Elder 7, Carstensen 9, Neilsen 0, Goodwin 0, J.Evers 9, K.Evers 2.

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