The Bs

Bi-County: The start of the Bi-Co boys basketball tournament is still two weeks away, but it’s not too early to consider that no game will be a given in the eight-team event. For example, last weekend proved that any of the eight teams can beat anybody. Northwest Christian, which would be the second seed if the season ended today, lost at eighth-place Almira/Coulee-Hartline. Liberty, which would be the top seed, needed two baskets in the last 2 seconds to beat seventh-place Wilbur-Creston at home.

Panorama: Even though Curlew and Inchelium have the game of the week, Wellpinit (13-3, 9-2) could still have something to say about the Panorama North girls basketball champion. Wellpinit has another game with both Inchelium and Curlew, and a double-overtime victory over Inchelium early in the year was the Hornets’ only loss to a B school. A three-point loss at Cusick is all that is keeping Wellpinit from a three-way tie atop the league.

Whitman County: St. John-Endicott’s boys basketball has won 11 of its last 12 games, and the Eagles (14-3, 9-0) reaffirmed their league supremacy with a 75-47 rout of second-place Tekoa-Oakesdale (11-6, 7-2) last Saturday night in St. John. The Eagles can clinch a share of the WCL crown this Saturday at Asotin (11-6, 4-5).

Tekoa-Oakesdale (12-5, 7-2) is carrying plenty of momentum on the girls’ side, winning at Colton (12-5, 5-4) on Friday night, at St. John-Endicott (12-5, 7-2) on Saturday and at St. George’s (11-5) on Tuesday. The Nighthawks are tied with SJE and a half-game ahead of LaCrosse-Washtucna (11-5, 6-2) in the WCL standings. T-O and L-W will square off Friday night in LaCrosse.

J.D. Larson and Josh Petrie