Titans tie for top

At their season-opening jamboree, the University Titans girls basketball team had “31/2” available varsity players because of injuries, said coach Mark Stinson.

“You’re just praying that we know which end of the gym to shoot at by playoff time,” he said.

Thursday night, in the packed Hunter Fieldhouse at Lewis and Clark, his girls showed him they did, beating the Tigers 57-49 to earn a share of the Greater Spokane League championship with Gonzaga Prep, No. 1 seed in district and an automatic regional tournament berth.

But while the game featured two of the state’s best players – Angie Bjorklund of the Titans and Heather Bowman of the Tigers – it was role players who factored mightily in the outcome.

Seniors Janna Erickson and Kara Crisp provided U-Hi (17-3, 12-1) a major lift, both in the first half and during teeth-grinding time at the end.

With LC (18-2, 11-2) surrounding Bjorklund with as many as three defenders, 6-foot post Erickson found daylight inside. She burned the home team with seven baskets.

Crisp hit three 3-pointers in the first half and made two clutch free throws with 57 seconds remaining after the Tigers had cut a 51-40 deficit with 4 minutes remaining to just two points.

“I think that’s been maybe the goal as a coaching staff all year is to make sure everybody feels confident in their roles,” said Stinson. “You never know when you have to help your team by making a shot or playing a different opposition. Maybe those injuries were a blessing in disguise.”

It was for several Titans, particularly Erickson and Crisp, who took on expanded responsibilities when Bjorklund and others missed games early in the season.

They responded after LC scored the game’s first two baskets and led 6-2 early.

Tonya Schnibbe and Crisp hit back-to-back 3-pointers for an 8-6 lead and the Titans never trailed again.

Erickson scored four times, twice on assists by Bjorklund, in the first quarter.

Then, both teams put on a spectacular scoring exhibition. They alternated baskets 11 successive times, including five 3-pointers, two each by Crisp and LC’s Ula Tauala.

Until Katelan Redmon’s rebound and score on the second of two LC free throws, it had been more than 10 minutes between either team scoring back-to-back points.

The second half turned into a game for grinders as shots wouldn’t fall, turnovers came into play and each team had to scrap for what it could get.

U-Hi outscored LC 10-2 over the final 3:40 of the third quarter, with Erickson and Bjorklund getting two baskets each.

Erickson got her final bucket, on a Bjorklund pass that somehow threaded its way through a Tigers crowd. It stretched the Titans’ lead to a game-high 11 points.

“I have no idea,” said Erickson, when asked why she was able to find clear sailing when she released to the basket and converted passes from her teammates. “We ran our press break and I just ran the floor.”

Bjorklund, who suffered through a 6-for-21 shooting night, offered her explanation.

“We were just sending her off on the pick and roll,” Bjorklund said. “She’d come set a screen for us and the roll would be wide open. She made some nice catches and some nice shots.”

Things got dicey in the game’s final 4 minutes. Bowman, who had scored only seven points until then, came alive with two baskets and three free throws during a string of nine straight Tigers points that made it 51-49.

But Crisp made both ends of a double bonus to make it a two-possession game with less than a minute remaining.

Down the stretch, Dara Zack pulled down four rebounds and made a couple of free throws as U-Hi finished off the win at the free-throw line.

Four Titans finished in double figures. Redmon and Bowman led LC.

But U-Hi managed to keep the game at a half-court pace, and for most of the game kept Bowman contained.

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” said Erickson. “It feel so good we’re finally where we planned to be.”