Area roundup: Clinesmith finalist for CWU job

Former Mead, UC Santa Barbara and WNBA basketball player Stacy Clinesmith is one of six finalists for the women’s basketball head coaching job at Central Washington.

 Clinesmith, an assistant last year, was named interim head coach after Jeff Whitney was  fired.

 Other finalists include former West Coast Conference coach of the year Michelle Bento-Jackson (Santa Clara); Cody Butler, head coach at Yakima Valley Community College; Ken Crawford, head coach at Biola University; Ardie McInelly, former head coach at Air Force; and Shawn Nelson, the Carroll College head coach.

College basketball

CC Spokane split a NWAACC doubleheader with Columbia Basin on Thursday, winning the opener at Spokane Falls Community College 5-3 before dropping the second game 3-2.

Right-hander D.J. Smith went the distance in the first game for the Sasquatch (16-14, 6-8), picking up the win. He allowed six hits while striking out six. Alex Wolf had two hits for CCS, including a double.

Columbia Basin (20-10, 10-4) scored twice in the fifth inning for a lead it wouldn’t surrender in the nightcap.

Women’s golf

Portland State won its second straight Big Sky Conference championship at Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz. The Vikings finished at 16-over-par 880, a conference tournament 54-hole record.

They won by 11 strokes over second-place Northern Arizona behind medalist Britney Yada, who finished with a conference record 6-under 210 for a five-stroke victory. Kaitlen Parsons (University HS) of NAU tied for ninth at 226.

Eastern Washington finished eighth at 952. The Eagles’ top finisher was Dana Stapleton, who tied for 19th at 230.

The Eagles finished 34 strokes better than they did in last year’s tournament held on the same course.