Jess Brown

Mitch Holmberg scored in overtime to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans in the first game of their Western Hockey League series Friday night in Kennewick.

So much of life in the Western Hockey League is a highway – but in this instance it’s the 144-mile stretch of highway that’s helped define the hockey. It’s not much different when the postseason approaches – and as the league championship series draws closer, you can almost feel the tension blowing in from the East Division.

So much of life in the Western Hockey League is a highway – but in this instance it’s the 144-mile stretch of highway that’s helped define the hockey.

After their first Sweet 16 appearance in 2010, the Gonzaga women’s basketball team lost a tremendous trio – Vivian Frieson, Heather Bowman and Tiffany Shives – leaving some question marks heading into the 2010-11 season.

Lake City softball coach Laura Tolzmann called it a challenge – a good test for her team. It was the kind of test the Timberwolves aren’t used to.

Mike Aviani scored once and set up two more as the Chiefs eliminated the Vancouver Giants from the playoffs with a 3-1 win on Sunday in Western Hockey League action. Spokane, the fifth-seeded team in the Western Conference, won the best-of-seven first-round series 4-2 after losing the first two games.

The Spokane Chiefs have gone from having their backs against the wall to charging forward and picking up momentum along the way. After losing their top defenseman, allowing 14 goals and dropping the first two games of their best-of-7, first-round Western Hockey League playoff series against the Vancouver Giants, the Chiefs have won three straight and taken a 3-2 series lead – picking up the first road win for either team in the series with a 5-1 victory on Friday in Vancouver.

Just like clockwork, the playoffs roll around every March and goals become even harder to come by.

KINGSTON, R.I. – Kayla Standish knew it was over. They all did. And so with 44 seconds remaining in Gonzaga’s loss to Kentucky on Sunday night in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament, Zags coach Kelly Graves made his final substitutions and Standish and Kelly Bowen joined fellow senior starter Katelan Redmon on the bench.

Keyla Snowden made five 3-pointers, hitting a pair of them to turn back Gonzaga’s last charge as Kentucky beat the Zags 79-62 on Sunday to advance to the East Regional finals of the NCAA women’s tournament. Kayla Standish scored 25 for No. 11 seed Gonzaga (28-6), which reached the round of 16 for the third consecutive year.

Kayla Standish knew it was over. They all did. And so with 44 seconds remaining in Gonzaga’s loss to Kentucky on Sunday night in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament, Zags coach Kelly Graves made his final substitutions and Standish and Kelly Bowen joined fellow senior starter Katelan Redmon on the bench. In a touching moment, Graves embraced his seniors individually and let them know how proud they had made him.

KINGSTON, R.I. – March Madness brings out the best of the best, even when it comes to clever phrasemaking.

KINGSTON, R.I. – Coming off an Elite Eight appearance and making a return trip to the Sweet 16 for the third straight season, there aren’t overwhelming amounts of firsts left for Kelly Graves – at least on a basketball court.