Locally: Area prep basketball standouts earn college hoops honors across the region

For the second time in three weeks, and seventh time in her two years at Montana Western, Brianna King of Spokane has been named the Frontier Conference’s Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

The 5-foot-5 senior guard from North Central High School and Community Colleges of Spokane led the NAIA Division I ninth-ranked Bulldogs to three victories, two against top-15 opponents, as they stayed unbeaten (9-0) in winning the Phoenix Frontier Classic.

King led the tournament with 77 points, 14 assists and 10 steals and added nine rebounds. She shot 25 of 55 from the field, including 11 of 26 from 3-point range, and was 16 of 20 from the free-throw line.

The 2017-18 first-team NAIA All-American ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring (No. 6 at 20.6 ppg) as she closes in on 1,000 career points. She entered this weekend with 879. She also ranks No. 9 nationally in steals with an average of 3.222 per game.

College scene

Markieth Brown Jr., an Everett sophomore guard from Shadle Park, was named the NWAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after leading the Trojans to a 3-1 record for the period of Dec. 12-19, averaging 35 points, while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent on free throws.

“Markieth is scoring from all three facets of the game and passing the ball well, averaging over four assists a game,” Everett coach Mike Trautman said of the player who leads the NWAC in scoring with a 25.8 average.

“He also finished the fall quarter with a high GPA and is on pace to complete his AA this spring.”

• Taryn Shelley, a freshman forward who transferred to Montana State Billings after redshirting last season at Washington State, was the GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. She had one double-double and just missed a second, collecting 27 points and 24 rebounds as the Yellowjackets split two games in the Daytona Beach (Florida) Shootout.

• Idaho announced that 247Sports ranked the Vandals’ 2019 recruiting class second among FCS schools and first in the Big Sky Conference at the end of the early football signing period. Idaho signed 14 players to letters of intent.

Hockey

The Spokane Chiefs have a couple of special events coming up:

• The Jan. 4 game in the Arena against Kamloops will be a “Hats off for the Homeless” clothing drive. Fans who bring new or gently used winter coats, hats, gloves or other winter clothing for women and children will receive either a $5 ticket to that night’s game or a $5 voucher to the Chiefs’ Team Store.

Fans can also bring items to the team’s ticket office at the Arena during regular business hours prior to the game to receive the offer. The apparel will be donated to Catholic Charities’ St. Margaret’s Homeless Shelter.

• Chiefs players will serve a “Blueline Brunch” on Jan. 12 at the Arena from 10-11:30 a.m. It will include pancakes, bacon, orange juice and coffee for $15, with $5 from each meal being donated to the Spokane House of Charity. That night, the Chiefs will play the Tri-City Americans at 7 in the Arena.

More details on each event can be found on the Chiefs’ website, www.spokanechiefs.com.

Letters of intent

Montana Western football – Caden Friis, OL, Coeur d’Alene HS; Derek Rauch-Edwards, WR/RB, Moscow, two-time first-team All-IEL.