Cougars, Rams Find State Spots

Northeast A

The fall must have felt like it was nine miles long for Lakeside.

Less than 24 hours earlier, the team from Nine Mile Falls was battling Medical Lake for the Northeast A district title and a No. 1 seed at the Class A state tournament.<

Saturday night, the Eagles were on the losing end of a 75-52 Chewelah triumph.

The loss ended the season for Lakeside (15-8) and sent the Cougars (17-8) to the state tournament in the Tacoma Dome next week as the No. 2 seed from the NEA.

In the opener at Mead High School, Riverside ended the season for the Colfax girls, 51-41.

The seventh-ranked Rams advanced to the state tournament, representing the NEA as the No. 2 seed.

Boys

Chewelah 75, Lakeside 52

The Cougars threatened to blow the Eagles out early, and outscored the Eagles 19-2 over a 6-minute span during the third quarter to deliver the knockout punch.

Junior guard Brett Skok came off the bench to score seven of his 15 points during the third-quarter flurry and Jeremy Landrum added five points to lead the charge.

“That’s what he does,” Cougars coach Drew Landrum said of Skok’s performance. “He comes off and gives us a lift. He’s one of our best players. When we are faltering, we use him.”

Skok started the run, draining a 3-pointer from the wing. Jeremy Landrum followed with a leaner in the paint over the outstreched arms of an Eagles defender.

Not wanting to be outdone, Skok drove the middle of the lane and popped in a neat 8-footer after changing his shot in mid-air and the Cougars were off and running.

“I was just looking to provide defensive help and rebounding,” Skok said.

Skok, who also handed out three assists, played defense as well, helping his teammates harass the Eagles into turnovers or missed shots on at least 11 consecutive trips.

“We really picked up our defense,” coach Landrum said. “Our defense has basically done it for us all year. Tonight we scored off of our defense.”

Chewelah 17 17 26 15 - 75 Lakeside 13 10 10 19 - 52

CHEWELAH Je.Landram 13, Jaques 3, Murbach 4, Wissing 0, Skok 15, Keeley 2, Ja.Landram 0, Boone 8, Belzer 16, Rodgers 8, Rainer 6, Wymer 0.

LAKESIDE (Nine Mile Falls) - Bender 2, Nelson 0, Feider 2, Davis 3, Hatch 11, Klein 2, Mathews 8, Miller 2, Petticrew 13, J.Tenny 0, S.Tenny, Day 0.

Girls

Riverside 51, Colfax 41

Alana Carlander scored 19 points, including six of her team’s last eight to help the Rams hold off the Bulldogs, but it wasn’t easy.

“I was just trying to keep the team in the state tournament and keep them under control,” Carlander said. “I just tried to calm them down.”

The Rams (19-5) were understandably nervous.

When the Bulldogs’ Laura Widman scored on a turnaround putback and was fouled by Abbey Wood to cut the Rams’ lead to 43-41, Riverside appeared to be in trouble.

The Rams had been trying unsuccessfully to shake the Bulldogs all night and had now squandered the slim five-point lead they brought to the fourth quarter.

Widman was unable to convert the three-point play, but Shelby Pitman was fouled on the rebound by Ramona Peterson, prompting a time out from Rams’ coach Chris Wren.

Up stepped Carlander.

Pitman missed both foul shots and Carlander took the outlet pass and raced down court.

The senior guard cut left at the foul line, stopped abruptly and drilled a 12-foot jumper.

Following a Peterson basket, Carlander was at it again.

This time from the foul line.

She missed on her first one-andone attempt but was able to get back to the line when she was fouled following her own shot.

She would return to the line twice more. She buried four of her last six attempts from the stripe to put the game out of reach, as Colfax (17-8) desperately flung up 3s.

Colfax 11 13 10 7 - 41 Riverside 8 14 17 12 - 51

COLFAX Gigray 2, Harder 4, Brownell 0, Miller 0, Tribbett 4, Widman 12, Pittman 7, Hansen 12.

RIVERSIDE Carlander 19, Snyder 2, Whittekiend 0, Thompson 3, Day 10, Stime 5, Wood 10, Peterson 2, McMurphy 0.