Double-dip victory for Cheney

There was disco frenzy in Cheney on Friday night during the Diamond Dipper spirit basketball game against Rogers. The Blackhawks boogied on down with wins in both ballgames and Friday Night Fever outdid Pirates Under Construction in voting for the dipper.

Both games played to similar scripts with Cheney coming from behind and pulling away late.

Second-half outside shooting by Heather Burke lifted Cheney’s girls (7-12, 3-9) over Rogers (2-17, 0-12) 58-48 after they had trailed for most of the game.

Rebounding and Jess Donnerberg were the differences in a 55-47 win for the Blackhawks boys (6-13, 4-8), who moved past the Pirates (7-12, 3-9) in Greater Spokane League standings.

Boys: It was Donnerberg against Rogers for much of the game. He scored nearly half the Blackhawks’ first-half points and finished with 20.

“I came out and gave it all I had,” he said. “It was a big game to try and get some momentum for the playoffs.”

Donnerberg got going with a game-opening 3-pointer and also had a couple of tough makes in traffic.

It didn’t hurt that Cheney scored three points when Kirk Meyer lobbed a pass inside and it went through the basket instead.

Still, the outside shooting of Rogers’ Josh Taylor and inside play of Scotty Livengood, who had four offensive rebounds, accounted for 19 points and a 30-26 lead at halftime.

After intermission, Cheney’s ability to keep the ball alive around its basket led to a 24-16 rebounding advantage, 11 by Matt Brunell alone.

“In the second half, our rebounding was much better,” said Cheney coach Dave Baird. “And Jess just looked like he didn’t want to lose tonight.”

The team broke a 35-all tie in the third quarter. Then the Blackhawks held Rogers scoreless for 5 minutes, for a 47-37 lead. The Pirates made a brief rally on Andrew Durant’s two 3-pointers. But, other than for Livengood (who finished with 17 points), that was about the Pirates’ only second-half offense.

“Rogers has come a long way,” said Baird. “(Coach Brian Kissinger) has done a wonderful job.”

Girls: Rogers jumped to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter and except for three brief periods led the game until 4 minutes remained.

Pirates inside players Melanie Humphries, who scored seven first-quarter points, and D’Erica Jones, who had eight for the half, led the early outburst.

“We tried to dig ourselves a hole, but we were able to sneak out of it,” said Cheney coach Hal Sautter.

Cheney rallied late in the first half post Katie Camp with six straight points. Rogers regained a four-point lead.

Outside shooting by both teams improved in the second half, but the game still belonged to the posts, Calynne Oyolokor of Cheney, who scored 12 second-half points for 15 overall, and Jones, who finished with 16.

That’s when Burke came alive. With Rogers leading 45-44, she scored eight points in half of the game’s final 4 minutes and Cheney took a 58-45 lead.

“I think I was shooting too quick and my feet weren’t set,” said Burke. “Once I got it into my head that I needed my feet to be square, it was OK from there.”