Sasquatch Advance To Nwaacc Title Game

Jeremy Stuart, Clayton Thomas and Tim Gallagher scored as Community Colleges of Spokane blanked Pierce 3-0 in the NWAACC men’s soccer tournament, played on the artificial turf at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell, Wash.

CCS plays for the conference title at 4 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s late game between Bellevue and Edmonds.

Nyla Stott’s goal in sudden death broke a scoreless tie and lifted Columbia Basin over CCS in the women’s tourney, also at Pop Keeney. CCS plays Saturday at 10 a.m. against Skagit Valley for third place.

WSU volleyball

Southern California handled No. 9 Washington State in four games Thursday night in Los Angeles as the 15th-ranked Trojans pulled within a game of the Cougars in the Pacific-10 Conference volleball standings.

With the 15-11, 15-3, 10-15, 15-7 victory, USC improved to 19-7 overall and 11-6 in the conference; WSU is 20-5 and 12-5.

The Trojans overcame an 11-7 first-game deficit, getting 11 kills and three blocks from middle blockers Kilee Hughes and Jasmina Marinkovic.

WSU was hurt when, down 9-2 in the third game, outside hitter Elis Arias left with a sprained right ankle.

With WSU already missing middle blocker Jenny Herndon, who didn’t make the trip because of tonsillitis and an ear infection, Cougars coach Cindy Fredrick turned to freshmen Jennifer Stinson, Jen Canevari and Nikki Hubbert to fill in.

The Cougars regrouped to win the third game, with Silvernail ending it with three straight kills.

Silvernail led WSU with 18 kills and seven blocks.

Women’s basketball

WSU defeated Myjava of Slovakia, 78-57, in an exhibition game at Bohler Gym. Kristin Erickson, a junior from Littleton, Colo., led the Cougars with 18 points.