Knights girls, Indians boys make state

Playing against bigger schools in the Greater Spokane League paid off in the end for the East Valley Knights girls and North Central Indians boys.

East Valley knocked off the Kamiakin Braves 60-55 and North Central defeated the West Valley (Yakima) Rams 50-44 to advance to the State 3A basketball tournament, beginning Wednesday at Bank of America Arena in Hec Edmundsen Pavilion on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

Girls

Senior Ashley Grater tossed in a game-high 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out six assists to propel the Knights (10-14), who finished seventh in GSL play during the regular season, past Kamiakin.

Senior Kylee Williamson added 13 points and sophomore Kelsi Jacobson scored 11 for the Knights, who outscored Kamiakin 22-8 in the second quarter to take a 36-23 lead at halftime.

Marcy Hjellum scored 15 to lead the Braves.

Boys

Junior guard Nick Rijon scored a game-high 21 and ignited a fourth-quarter comeback with a pair of 3-pointers to rally the Indians to a victory over the Rams.

Rijon also grabbed nine rebounds for the Indians (7-18), who finished last in the GSL during regular-season play.

Cody Hauenstein added 11 points for North Central, while Javier Grigsby and Boone Plager tallied four assists each.

North Central trailed 40-32 in the fourth quarter before staging its comeback.

•The 3A draw for the boys and girls tourneys will be held today.