Metro beats Region, avenges loss

It was back to normal for the Metro girls basketball team Monday.

Metro, made up of the best of the Greater Spokane League, played like it was on skates while the Region, made up of the best players from North Idaho and outside Spokane, played at times like it was running in quicksand.

The difference was measurable as Metro avenged its first loss in the 17th annual Jack Blair Memorial game with a convincing 103-81 victory at University High School.

“You can’t coach speed,” Coeur d’Alene coach Dale Poffenroth, who coached the Region, said. “And when you make your shots, you’re in good shape. Our two best shooters (Jordan Loera of Moses Lake and Katelyn Loper of Post Falls) didn’t shoot well, and they’re pretty good shooters. We went to a zone and got it to eight and they (Metro) hit three 3s in a row and the game’s over. Their shooters were there and the speed you can’t do anything about.”

The Region stayed within eyesight in the first half, trailing 51-39 at intermission. Region cut it to 51-43 to open the second half, but that’s when Kelsey Matthews of Central Valley, Aleisha Hathaway of Shadle Park and Jenni White of East Valley made the three straight 3-pointers about which Poffenroth spoke. It ultimately triggered a 16-0 run that allowed Metro to build a 78-50 lead with 12:42 remaining.

All 13 Metro players scored, but none were bigger in the first half than Lewis and Clark teammates Hayley Hendricksen and Devyn Galland. They combined for 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting.

Hendricksen, who finished with a team-high 16 points, was named the game’s most valuable player.

“It was a really great way to start the game,” Hendricksen said of the first half. “It was a really good experience. You play against these girls all season long and to finally come together at the end and get a chance to play with them is a pretty special experience.”

CV coach Freddie Rehkow, who teamed with North Central coach Gabe Medrano to coach Metro, figured speed would be the difference.

“We just basically told the girls that we wanted to get out and run the entire game,” Rehkow said. “We had the bodies to do it and it always helps to have good drivers and good shooters.”

Tia Presley of Gonzaga Prep, perhaps the fastest Metro player, scored four straight baskets at one point in the second half on seemingly uncontested drives. She finished with 14 points to match Galland.

CdA 6-foot-3 post Carli Rosenthal was named the game’s most inspirational player. She had 10 points to go with eight rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.

Jazmine Redmon of Mead got off to a slow start, going scoreless in the first half, but she finished with 10 and had the game’s final two baskets.