DeSales wins 2nd straight SEB crown
PULLMAN — Even though DeSales hadn’t trailed since the first quarter, head coach Greg Fazzari knew he had a reason to be concerned.
LaCrosse-Washtucna had climbed back within five with 38 seconds left in the third quarter and appeared to be on its way to completing the comeback as center Kyle Lepper and power forward Matt Martin dominated his Fighting Irish inside.
So instead of giving up another possession, Fazzari instructed his team to hang onto the ball for one shot. Point guard Cesar Lopez held the ball at the top of the Friel Court key until just a few seconds remained, found Casey Worth in the left corner, and a 3-pointer from there sucked all the wind from the Tigercats’ sails.
From there, DeSales (22-1) claimed a 65-54 victory and a second straight District 9 B basketball title and can look forward to a trip to Spokane.
L-W will have to make a quick rebound from its disappointment, playing Tekoa-Oakesdale for the fourth time this season with the district’s second berth in the state tournament on the line.
“They all really deserve to go to state and it’s sad that one of those guys won’t go. But I’m sure glad we’re going,” said Fazzari, whose team was the champion of the Blue Mountain Conference this year. “Whitman County is a class act with everything they do. When you can come in here and beat these guys, that’s a feather in our cap. We’re proud to represent this district as the No. 1 seed.
“Casey’s 3 at the end of that quarter was huge. Little things like that, being able to handle their pressure.”
L-W (19-5) made it a game again in the fourth quarter by fouling on every possession with more than 3 minutes left, but the Fighting Irish made 12 of 19 fourth-quarter free throws and were able to hang on for the win. The Tigercats couldn’t hit enough outside shots down the stretch to make things interesting, as Lepper (24 points) and Martin (17) had all but 13 for their squad.
DeSales had a more balanced box score, but Worth led the way with 17 points including 10 from the free-throw line. Senior Nick Conley added 16 points and led DeSales’ quick transition attack.
“We definitely had the advantage inside. There wasn’t much they could do,” Lepper said. “But they’re athletes. They’re strong, they can shoot he ball.”
Last year, DeSales needed overtime to beat L-W en route to the district championship. This year, they didn’t need any extra time.
Instead, they could relax and celebrate on the floor with a second consecutive district championship under their belts.
“Our league doesn’t get much hype but, I don’t know, I guess we never really looked at that,” Worth said. “We just knew we could play with anybody.
“We’re definitely excited. Looking to bring home a trophy.”
Tekoa-Oakesdale 53, Gar-Pal 44
Derek Flock had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Nighthawks (19-6) past the Vikings (17-9) in a loser-out game.
Tyler Young added 14 points and six assists for T-O, which plays L-W for a State B tournament berth tonight at 8.
Nels Iverson scored 19 points, and Luke Louden had nine points and 13 rebounds for Gar-Pal.
The teams split four games this season, with Gar-Pal winning the previous two.
Girls
Garfield-Palouse 37, DeSales 27
The Vikings (22-2) won the District 9 B championship with a balanced offensive effort, led by Brenda Hershaw, who scored a team-high nine points, and Jessie Kriebel and Monica Boone, who each scored eight.
DeSales (17-7) got 14 points from Andrea Wujek.
LaCrosse-Washtucna 49, Dayton 45
Jennifer Ayers-Stamper scored 21 points and hauled down eight rebounds to lead the Tigercats (20-6) past the Bulldogs (17-8) in a loser-out game.
L-W will play DeSales for a State B tournament berth tonight at 6:30.
Alyssa Koller added 10 points for L-W.
Stephanie Turner had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Katie Powell had 11 points for Dayton.