B Schools Begin Their State Quest Defending Champions In Running To Return As Leagues Open Tournaments

Defending State B champions find themselves in different positions as league tournaments begin tonight.

The Ritzville girls, of the Bi-County League, are top-ranked and 20-0. They have won 30 consecutive games, including the final 10 of 1996-97 that ended with the Broncos capturing their second state title.

“We know we have the capability, but we’re going to respect our opponents,” said first-year Broncos coach Howard Manke.

Ritzville returns high-scoring Megan Yerxa and Shannon Russel, and added point guard Amy Fitch, who missed the championship season with an injury.

Republic’s boys, who won their first title last year with a senior-dominant lineup, are a respectable 15-5 after the Panorama League season. But coach Rory Rickard said the defensive-minded Tigers are still looking for offensive consistency.

Republic figures to be one of four teams advancing from the league tourney to district, but the league’s power resides in Curlew. The second-ranked Cougars (17-3), who haven’t lost on the court but forfeited three games for using an ineligible player, manhandled Republic 62-30 Saturday to complete league play.

The Bi-County tourney, in Reardan, opens tonight with loser-out games. No. 6 Almira-Coulee-Hartline (3-16) plays No. 7 Odessa (6-13) to open girls play. For boys, No. 5 Ritzville (10-10) plays No. 8 Davenport (7-14), while No. 6 Sprague-Harrington (11-9) plays No. 7 Liberty (6-14).

The tourney becomes double-elimination and continues Friday, with No. 5 Davenport (6-13) playing No. 4 Liberty (12-8) and No. 3 Wilbur-Creston (13-5) playing today’s winner in girls play. For boys, No. 4 ACH (12-8) and No. 3 Odessa (13-6) will take on today’s winners.

The elite of the league season, No. 1 Ritzville and No. 2 Sprague-Harrington (13-7) for girls, and No. 1 Valley Christian (17-2) and No. 2 W-C (13-6) for boys, have byes until Saturday. Each needs to win just once to qualify for one of four berths to district.

The double-elimination Panorama tourney begins tonight with girls games at the highest-seeded teams’ place. The matchups:

South Division No. 4 Cusick (2-17) vs. North No. 1 Wellpinit (16-3); South No. 3 Northwest Christian (8-12) vs. North No. 2 Northport (15-5); South No. 2 Selkirk (17-3) vs. North No. 3 Republic (10-10); South No. 1 St. George’s (16-2) vs. North No. 4 Inchelium (8-11).

Boys play begins Wednesday, also at the top seeds, with South No. 4 Cusick (8-11) vs. North No. 1 Curlew; South No. 3 NWC (12-8) vs. North No. 2 Republic (15-5); South No. 2 St. George’s (15-5) vs. North No. 3 Wellpinit (10-8); and South No. 1 Selkirk (17-3) vs. North No. 4 Inchelium (6-13).

Play continues Friday (girls) and Saturday (boys), also at highest seeds. Four advance to district.

Before the Whitman County tourney begins, tiebreakers are necessary at the top of the boys’ standings and at the bottom of the girls’.

Garfield-Palouse (16-4) and St. John-Endicott (15-4) will determine the boys No. 1 and 2 seeds at 6:30 tonight in Endicott, also the main tourney site. Both were 9-1 in league.

Colton (3-17) and Rosalia (2-17) tied for fifth place at 1-9 and play at 5 tonight to determine girls seeds No. 5 and 6.

Friday’s tourney openers, all loser-out, are No. 5 Colton (6-12) vs. No. 6 Rosalia (1-18) for boys; and No. 3 G-P (12-8) meeting No. 6, while No. 4 SJE (10-9) plays No. 5 for girls.

Play continues Saturday, with the No. 4 Tekoa-Oakesdale (11-9) boys against the Rosalia-Colton winner in another loser-out. No. 3 LaCrosse-Washtucna (7-13) opens its boys play against today’s Gar-Pal vs. SJE loser. Among girls, No. 2 T-O (18-2) and No. 1 L-W (13-7) play Friday winners.

When the tourney ends Monday, three boys teams and four girls will have berths to district.

DeSales’ boys (14-3) and girls (16-3) are No. 1 seeds to the Friday-Saturday-Monday Blue Mountain tourney at Asotin. Six boys teams and five girls teams are entered; all but one from each will advance to district.

Bi-County boys playoffs

Liberty and Davenport won seeding games Monday night to advance to the double-elimination portion of the boys tournament.

Liberty 57, Lind 31

Kevin Engle pulled down nine rebounds as the Lancers (6-14) claimed the No. 7 seed and eliminated the visiting Bulldogs’ (2-19).

Jamie Sheckells of Lind was the only scorer in double figures with 16 points.

Lind 11 6 9 11 - 31

Liberty 10 15 17 12 - 57

LIND - Kulm 0, Labes 0, Parkins 7, Sheckells 16, Olson 2, Thompson 0, Widger 7, Williamson 4, Wilson 0, Schrenk 0.

LIBERTY - Wiman 8, K.Engle 9, J.Cousins 4, J.Holling 6, Johnson 7, Pottratz 2, Phipps 0, C.Holling 4, Schmitz 2, Mortimer 7, Horlacher 5.

Davenport 82, Christian Heritage 77

Dale Buchanan’s 30 points, including six 3-pointers, clinched the No. 8 seed for the Gorillas (7-14) and ended the Patriots’ (8-12) season.

Cody Rodenbough sank four 3-pointers for the Gorillas. Joe Bell had 14 rebounds for the Patriots.

Davenport 18 29 18 17 - 82

Christian Heritage 23 22 16 16 - 77

DAVENPORT - Rodenbough 18, Holderby 7, Johnson 2, Buchanan 30, Swain 0, Telecky 21, Morrison 4, Payne 0.

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE - Newbill 23, A.Bell 4, B.Bishop 8, J.Bell 25, Hattenburg 5, Kirstein 0, Bogle 12.

, DataTimes