WV boys face heart of GNL schedule
West Valley, one of four teams chasing a top-two finish in Great Northern League boys basketball, enters the make-or-break portion of the season.
The Eagles have three upcoming games, two of them on the road against the league’s other contenders. And coach Jamie Nilles hopes the weather cooperates.
The Eagles (10-4 overall, 6-2 in league) are scheduled to play in Clarkston (8-6, 6-2) tonight, though snow is in the forecast.
“We’ll make a decision (this) morning whether we play,” said Nilles. “I don’t really want to postpone (the game), I want to get it in.”
His reasoning is sound. Friday the Eagles are at another contender, Cheney (10-4, 5-3), and Feb. 5 play host to league-leading Pullman (13-1, 8-0). If the Clarkston game is delayed, he said, it will probably be played Saturday, meaning three games in five nights against the league’s best.
WV beat Clarkston by two points and lost to Cheney by one at home, and was beaten in overtime in Pullman during the first go-round.
“We match up good with some and others we have to figure out,” Nilles said. “We need our young posts to be productive offensively a little more and our guards have to play taller than they are.”
The games are pivotal.
“If we are on the plus side with wins over losses the next three games we’ll be in good shape,” he said. “If we win them all it would be fine with me, too.”
Dragons breathe fire
The return to health of two posts helped St. George’s to a perfect Panorama League boys basketball season and top seed when the District 7 tournament begins next Monday. And the Dragons girls were unbeaten in league as well.
They were a combined 27-0 in league this year to earn top seeds into the eight-team tournaments that include Panorama and Bi-County league schools. Tourneys begin with boys games Monday at Spokane Falls and Spokane Community colleges.
At 18-2 overall, “we’re probably better than last year,” said boys coach Ryan Peplinski. “Last year we were undersized at the post.”
Wyatt Orme, 6-foot-4, hurt his knee in the first practice of the 2007 season and 6-2 sophomore Phillip Livingston was also injured all of last year, Peplinski said.
They have bolstered the Dragons inside and complement fourth-year starter and school career scoring leader Henry Butler, who has more than 1,700 points. All are part of a nine-player rotation.
“We’ve improved quite a bit and have a lot of depth,” said Peplinski.
Last year, St. George’s boys and girls both were eliminated on the third day of the state tournament.
Top-five finishers from District 7 advance to a regional with three Blue Mountain League teams, where five qualify for state.
Postseason hoops
Class 1B basketball teams get a jump on the playoffs with Wednesday’s District 7 play-in games between the Bi-County and Panorama leagues.
Odessa (3-15) plays St. Michael’s (3-16) in the 6 p.m. girls game and Almira/Coulee-Hartline (5-14) follows against Columbia (5-15) in the boys game to complete the six-team brackets for this weekend’s first rounds.
Boys top seeds Cusick (14-5) from the Panorama and Odessa (9-9) from Bi-County have byes. Curlew (14-6), Northport (7-13) and St. Michael’s (5-13) round out their district tourney.
Girls top seeds are Cusick (14-5) and ACH (9-11). Curlew (11-9), Inchelium (10-8) and Northport (7-13) complete the field.
Tourneys run through Feb. 15 and 16. Two teams in each qualify for state Feb. 20-23.
Victory at last
Until Friday’s 61-39 victory over Kettle Falls, Newport boys basketball had experienced four years of Northeast A League futility.
The Grizzlies had never won in league since joining the conference in 2005, going 0-28 before that victory over the Bulldogs.
Mighty have fallen
For four years Republic was at the top of Class 2B boys basketball – winning a state championship and finishing second, third and fifth at state.
Last weekend the Tigers lost 76-5 at St. George’s. It was no typographical error, but evidenced the Tigers’ sudden and dramatic drop. They were winless in 19 games this year.