U-Hi tops LC for title
There was no sneaker or rubber chicken to award, but a capacity crowd estimated at 2,500 overflowed the stands at University High anyway.
They were there to appreciate championship high school girls basketball and couldn’t have been disappointed.
“It was just a great atmosphere for girls basketball,” said U-Hi coach Mark Stinson of the largest non-spirit game crowd this season. “There hasn’t been a game like this, boys or girls, in a long time.”
In the end, his high-powered Titans (20-0, 13-0) did little to dispel the wisdom of their No. 1 state ranking, beating Lewis and Clark (19-1, 12-1) 73-58 in a Greater Spokane League title showdown between unbeaten teams.
It was the Titans’ first GSL championship in 25 years. U-Hi last had an unbeaten GSL record in 1979, the first of back-to-back titles.
“We get another plaque up on the wall,” said Stinson, of the win’s significance. “And the girls appreciate having something they can leave behind. It’s a big win for us and a legacy on their part.”
LC’s early rebounding superiority was offset by turnovers that kept things close, although the Tigers did lead 19-15.
Then, the Titans went to the boards and settled in both ends of the court to go on a 14-3 run that included nine straight points in the final 1:42 of the second quarter.
“It was big,” said LC coach Jim Redmon, “but then we came back right after halftime so I said, ‘We got it, we’re OK.’ Then we got hesitant and that’s were a lot of our problems were. They took us out of our comfort zone offensively.”
U-Hi scored eight straight points for a 38-28 lead and the closest the Tigers would come thereafter was to within five points.
While the Bjorklund sisters did their thing, senior Jami with 13 of her 20 points in the first half and sophomore Angie with 16 of her game-high 23 in the second half, it was U-Hi’s supporting cast that had a huge hand in the outcome.
Tonya Schnibbe, in particular, helped turn around the game. She scored five of the final nine points of the first half and four during the third-quarter burst, finishing with 17.
Her defense on Briann January kept the Arizona State-bound point guard a virtual non-factor. Once she picked January’s pocket and went for a layin.
“She was the glue this game,” said Stinson
“I’ve just kind of gotten in the groove of things,” Schnibbe said.
Another factor was Emily Kuipers, who had big rebounds and clutch baskets.
There was no stopping Angie Bjorklund after a first-half struggle. She made 8 of 10 shots in the second half, with some brilliant moves around the basket.
“Angie can take you inside, she can take you outside,” said LC’s Redmon. “We had a number of girls running at her (yet) she found the open gaps.”
District 3A
In loser-out games to begin the postseason for GSL 3A teams, Cheney’s boys and North Central’s girls both won at home.
The Blackhawks (11-10) beat NC’s boys 77-67, running off 27 second-quarter points after falling behind 12-5 in the first quarter.
Luke Just scored all six of his points to fuel the outburst, which was helped when inside presence and Indians scoring leader Damal Neil picked up his third and fourth fouls, one a technical, and had to sit.
Cheney plays the loser of tonight’s West Valley-Clarkston game at Mt. Spokane, Saturday at 8 p.m. for second and third regional seeds.
NC’s girls beat WV 68-43 with “great team execution,” said coach Dave Hall. The Indians shook the Eagles with a 19-5 third quarter.
They play the loser of tonight’s Clarkston-East Valley game, 6 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane, also for second and third seeds to regionals.