Kevin Blocker

It was easy to get caught up in Whitworth's offensive explosion in its 103-73 first-round win against Howard Payne in the NAIA Division II playoffs Thursday night at Northwest Nazarene College. It isn't very often one sees a team hit 17 of 26 shots from behind the 3-point line - an effort that broke team and tournament records. But there was one aspect of the Pirates' play that was just as signficant as its first-half offensive outburst in their win. And that was their defense.

Even though the Washington State women's basketball team has won just one game in its last seven, if certain scenarios played themselves out between now and Saturday, the Cougars could be in at least a tie for third place in the conference. And yes, amazingly enough, the Cougars could be sitting in front of the television Sunday morning with a chance to receive an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. One month ago, the Cougars had a record of 15-5, including 6-3 in conference. Now they're 16-11 and 7-9, tied for seventh in the Pac-10.

Four more wins would give Warren Friedrichs plenty to smile about. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Strange names, sounds, smells. ... You name it, the State B tournament is full of all of this and more. In case you missed some of the notes, quotes and half-truths circulating around the Arena, here's a chance to catch up.

Morton's 5-foot-10 senior center, Sarah Coleman, has always played big in the State B tournament. But she never did draw the media's eye the way Jennifer Stinson, Kari Hutchinson and Andee Schmick have in recent years. If there is a Rodney Dangerfield in the bunch, it is Coleman. In her last game Saturday, she scored 20 points grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out four assists to climb to sixth in scoring, seventh in rebounding and 10th in assists in State B history.

You can't watch the Rainier Mountaineers without asking: What is the purpose of that mind-numbing chant, "Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball!"? When the Mountaineers' opponents are in possession of the ball, Rainier's bench players chant incessantly, or at least until Rainier gets the ball back.

Reardan's Brenda Rohner picks off a rebound and a foul on Shannon Simpson, but St. John-Endicott won 59-48. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Wilbur-Creston will be banking on 18 points per game from Jessica Martin (25). Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

So if longshot Republican Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan could upset Bob Dole in a primary in New Hampshire, could the Washington State women's basketball team pull off a win over No. 4 Stanford? Hardly. The Cardinal defeated the Cougars 87-63 Thursday night at Friel Court, and clinched at least a tie for the Pacific-10 Conference championship.

Whitworth's John Beckman, right, wraps up Linfield's Scott Lucas moments before Pirates teammate Nate Williams can offer a hand. About 2,000 witnessed the win. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Marianne Stanley says gender equity in college sports is hardly equal. Photo by Associated Press

Whitworth likes its chances in the Northwest Conference meet this weekend in the school's Aquatic Center thanks to Jeff, top, and Jerry Rice. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

One could have suffered first-degree burns after shaking Tina Smith's hand Saturday night. The Eastern Washington senior had the sizzling hand, pouring in a career-high 23 points and leading the Eagles past visiting Idaho 72-58 in a women's Big Sky Conference basketball game at Reese Court. Smith shot 8 for 13 from the floor, 2 for 2 from 3-point range, 5 for 5 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

Whitworth College star Roman Wickers, right, fights his way inside for first-half rebound. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Somewhere between the Globetrotters and the Washington Generals sit Whitworth seniors Jeff Arkills, Nate Dunham, Roman Wickers and John Beckman. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Washington State coach Harold Rhodes was sitting around with his staff Friday night when he looked at the Pac-10 standings and said, "Wouldn't it be great if UCLA upset Oregon State tomorrow?" That didn't happen. However, something even more miraculous did. Pac-10 cellar-dweller Arizona State knocked off Washington on Saturday night, allowing the Cougars and Beavers to move into a second-place tie with the Huskies. Rhodes, of course, was quite thankful the Sun Devils chose to upset the other Washington team. WSU had beaten ASU just two nights earlier at Pullman.

Whitworth College men's basketball coach Warren Friedrichs points Pirates in winning direction. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Washington State's women's basketball team played in Bohler Gym Saturday afternoon because the annual Junior Miss Pageant was being held on Friel Court. With that said, let's just call WSU's Jenni Ruff the queen of Saturday's Senior Miss Pageant at Bohler.

Central Valley High School alum Jacque Clark is having a ball on the basketball court for the Arizona Wildcats this season. The 6-foot-2 junior center is in the starting lineup and making significant contributions for Arizona. The Wildcats (13-3, 4-3 Pac-10) face Washington State (13-4, 4-3) in a crucial Pac-10 conference game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at WSU.

Coaching is always a little bit easier when a team is winning. Trying to keep players' heads up when things aren't going like one might hope is another story. Last year, the Whitworth Pirates and first-year coach Helen Higgs took the Northwest Conference by storm. They won the league's regular season and postseason, and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Division II playoffs. Almost a year later, the Pirates (3-12 overall, 1-4) are tied for last place in the league.

College women Idaho's Mindy Rice needed the heart of a lion Thursday night, simply because she's had a thorn stuck in her left foot for sometime now. Suffering from plantar fascitis, a strain of the band of muscle beneath the arch, Rice pumped in 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead a second-half Vandals rally as Idaho beat Eastern Washington 72-61 in Big Sky Conference action in Memorial Gym at Moscow, Idaho. "I've had it since the summer," said Rice, who scored 20 points in the second half. "But it's only been within the past month that it has really started to hurt. Lately though, I've just been getting used to it."

1. Jenni Ruff takes it to Kim McGrew (21) and OSU in 64-63 win. Ruff played tough defense and led WSU with 28 points. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review 2. Yvonne Kunze, whose two foul shots clinched the win, reacts to the buzzer as the Cougars escape with a one-point victory over Oregon State. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

Nate Dunham takes it strong to the hoop in Whitworth's 60-47 win. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Women's basketball The Washington State women's basketball team is doing something this season that it hasn't done in a long time. Injuries to the Cougars have been as routine as defeats in past years. The start of this season has been no different. Well, the injury part anyway. The wins, however, are starting to pile up. WSU defeated Oregon 72-59 Thursday night at Friel Court for its 10th win of the season.