Washington Prevails Defense Makes Difference In Aau All-Star Game

Fans go to all-star games to watch players display their skills, but what they got Thursday night at East Valley was a defensive clinic.

The Eastern Washington All-Stars played more like teammates than rivals, especially on the defensive end, to run past North Idaho 75-61 in the fifth annual Jack Blair Memorial Girls AAU All-Star Basketball Classic.

“Once we started playing good defense, our offense picked up,” Karie Pruett of Ferris said.

Good defense is an understatement.

After opening a 39-30 lead at the half, Washington went to a full-court press that featured pressure on the ball, smart switches and double teams, and great anticipation.

What makes that unusual is players from eight different leagues made up the 11-player roster.

“They’re athletic,” Washington co-coach Art Rojas of Ferris said. “Our size outside was hard for them to handle.”

Washington forced 13 turnovers and Idaho made only one of eight shots as the lead ballooned to 63-41 with just under nine minutes left.

“They’re smart kids,” said Jim Redmon of Lewis and Clark, the other Washington coach. “They know the game. Obviously, defensively, we were quicker and more aggressive. We weren’t going to press.”

The offense was spread around, led by Washington MVP Carey Sauer of Newport with 16 points and 10 from her Great Northern League rival Brianne Jolley of Lakeside.

“Everyone just worked well together for the amount of practice we had,” Sauer said. “I was just in the right place. It was fun, nobody was trying to do it all. They were passing, working for the open shot.”

The first part of the game was a different story.

Led by 6-foot-4 Allison Asher of Lake City, Idaho had leads of 4-3 and 12-11 and was within one point at 19-18 after a great inside move by Portland-bound Asher.

Then Molly Carlson of Selkirk posted up for a three-point play, Jolley hit two free throws and Washington was off on a 12-2 run. That included a great follow by Sauer on a miss of her own off a lob and a Jolley steal and layup.

Asher finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds and Amber Paulson of Bonners Ferry added 12 points.

“I think the Washington team played together a little longer on various teams,” said Asher, the Idaho MVP for the second straight year.

Eastern Washington 75, Idaho 61

North Idaho All-Stars-Walter (Bonners Ferry) 2, J.Johnson (Troy) 3, Eberle (Post Falls) 3, Paulson (Bonners Ferry) 12, Herbert (Lake City) 5, Ruen (Post Falls) 5, (Coeur d’Alene) 4, Dodge (Lake City) 9, Asher (Lake City) 14, D.Johnson (Post Falls) 0, Goetz (Moscow) 4.

Eastern Washington All-Stars-Pruett (Ferris) 9, George (Ferris) 8, Getz (Cheney) 5, Bailey (Mead) 7, Jackson (Central Valley) 8, Jolley (Lakeside) 10, Russel (Ritzville) 0, Sauer (Newport) 16, Cox (TekoaOakesdale) 0, Turner (Reardan) 4, Carlson (Selkirk) 9.