Tourney To Recall Wright

This year’s State B basketball program will include a memorial to Dick Wright, who died of cancer earlier this week.

Wright greatly influenced the tournament’s four-decades run in Spokane. Among Wright’s other tournament accomplishments: first public-address announcer (1958); first radio broadcaster (‘59); broadcaster of 22 consecutive championship games; and first broadcaster of the girls event (‘81).

Tournament director Clayton Dunn said he and other organizers also will discuss a long-term way to honor Wright.

Less action for Jackson

Medical Lake’s Andre Jackson, the Great Northern League’s third-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, has missed two league games and will miss this weekend’s regular-season-ending games.

Jackson is serving a two-week disciplinary action, said ML coach Dave Olzendam.

Wading into Whitman waters

Colton’s Nick Bates finished his basketball career with exactly 1,000 points. Bates scored 21 Monday as LaCrosse-Washtucna eliminated the Wildcats 52-51 at the Whitman County tournament.

Rosalia’s David Maley reports senior Brad Bischoff of Garfield-Palouse and junior Heather Cox of Tekoa-Oakesdale, the league scoring champions, also were the leaders when non-league games were factored in. Bischoff averaged 17.2 points in 20 games, Cox 15.5.

L-W’s boys finished with three of the league’s top nine scorers, Gar-Pal’s girls with four of the top 12. Both teams placed third.

The top scorer for Colton’s girls was Leslie Maston, at 6.8 ppg.

T-O’s John Wall, who finished right behind Bischoff in league scoring, discovered an incorrect report from a late-January game. His final scoring average was 17.9, not 17.5.

Sehome’s second stab

The WIAA has been reluctant to uphold protests in the past, but the organization sided with Sehome after an apparent loss to Snohomish earlier this month.

Sehome trailed the game by one point with 5:07 left when Snohomish coach Len Bone, formerly of University High, argued that Sehome’s Graham Lasee already had played more than four quarters that night.

Snohomish’s scorebook said Lasee had played two quarters of the night’s junior varsity game, but Sehome insisted Lasee had played one. Officials slapped a technical foul on Sehome and ejected Lasee. Snohomish won 56-54 on a tipin at the buzzer.

Sehome coach Pat Fitterer successfully argued his case to the WIAA. The game was replayed from the 5:07 mark last Thursday, and Sehome won 68-61 in double overtime to vault into first place.

“This is one of the weirdest things I’ve been involved with as a coach,” said Fitterer, in his 21st season. “We wanted what was right and we were righted.”

Perfectly clear

No, North Central isn’t out of the GSL boys basketball race, but the Indians are in trouble.

NC must beat visiting Mead tonight and hope Rogers knocks off Gonzaga Prep at the Arena.

Rogers won the first matchup 60-57 to send the Bullpups on a four-game skid. Since then, Prep has won six of nine games. Mead beat NC 54-44 the first time.

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