Warriors eye spot in title game

The Almira/Coulee-Hartline boys will try and join their female counterparts in tomorrows 1B title games. To get there, the Warriors will have to beat Sunnyside Christian in their State 1B semifinal. The Knights pounded Lummi 62-23. ACH also made quick work of its first opponent, Mt. Rainier Lutheran, winning 66-25.

In the first State 2B girls’ semifinal, Lake Roosevelt will shoot for a title-game berth playing Toutle Lake. The Raiders beat Adna 50-30 to move into today’s semifinal. Toutle Lake handled Brewster in its quarterfinal 41-32.

ALMIRA/COULEE-HARTLINE VS. SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN

Brandon Boutain’s 3-point shot gives the Warriors a 7-3 lead, but the Knights answer with their second 3-ball of the game in the early going.

The Knights rip off nine straight to take a 12-7 lead. Steven Boersma has been a force inside defensively for the Knights, altering shots with his 6-foot, 6-inch frame. Thunder Wellhausen snaps the run with an impressive bucket inside against Boersma, but the SSC senior answers with a turnaround jumper.

Sunnyside Christian 16, ACH 11 through one quarter

Boersma’s presence inside has been hard for the Warriors to deal with in the first quarter. Derek Isaak, the Warriors’ leading scorer has been shut out thus far.

Sunnyside Christian 31, Almira/Coulee-Hartline 26 halftime

Isaak starts to come alive in the second, scoring the last four points of the half to cut the SSC lead to five. The size factor has been there all game for the Knights with three players 6-5 or taller. the only way the Warriors have found success has been from speeding up the game and geting buckets on the run. Isaak tallied nine points in the quarter to lead ACH at the break and Trevor Wagenaar posted 10 in the first half for the Knights.

We have a blood timeout on the floor. The Warriors have to hope an extra breather will help them get some legs as they attempt their comeback, down 35-28 now.

Sunnyside Christian 39, ACH 30 through three quarters

Neither team scores much in the third, but at this point that only hurts the Warriors, who now need to make up nine points in the final quarter.

The Warriors start to show some life defensively forcing three consecutive turnovers. Robert Hurka turns two steals into four points for ACH, and a jump-ball gives the Warriors the ball back with 4:02 remaining. They trail by five once again 41-36.

Following the timeout, Isaak spins into the lane and knocks down the layup with the harm. He converts the free throw to make it a two-point game. The Warriors nearly steal the ensuing inbound pass.

After Kevin DeJong scores to give the Knights a four-point lead, Isaak buries a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game.

Cody Jess’s attempt to tie the game is too hard off the rim. Missed opportunity for ACH. Boutain does not miss his opportunity though. Tying the game at 44-44.

Hurka has been a defensive monster for ACH in the fourth quarter. He now has three steals in the frame. Isaak’s three is short, though, and SSC rebounds and will have the ball with 52.9 seconds left.

ACH gets the stop it needs, but now is stuck with a hard choice. Either try and score early in the clock, or take time off. Either way, 21.8 seconds isn’t a lot of time to do anything.

Isaak tries to knife through the paint, but loses the ball into the hands of Wagenaar, who will shoot free throws for the Knights.

Wagenaar hits both and makes it a two possession game. DeJong then does the same to make the lead six.

Sunyside Christian 50, ACH 44 final

LAKE ROOSEVELT VS. TOUTLE LAKE

Dominique Pleasants has six early with two 3-pointers and the Raiders lead the Ducks 11-9.

Lake Roosevelt 11, Toutle Lake 9 through one quarter

In addition to Pleasants’s six points, Briana Monaghan also has three.

Jada Desautel hits two straight 3-pointers and the Raiders open a nine-point lead with four consecutive shots from beyond the arc.

Lake Roosevelt 30, Toutle Lake 22 halftime

Desautel ups her quarter total to 10 with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Raiders an eight-point lead at intermisson. Pleasants tallied 11 in the opening half. Leading Toutle Lake with six points was Jamie Wall.

The Ducks open the half with a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to four. Payton Hoff has four quick points for the Ducks.

Toutle Lake 37, Lake Roosevelt 36 through three quarters

The Ducks use a 9-1 run to take a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter. Wall now has nine points and Hoff has eight.

Desautel give the Raiders the lead back with the first bucket of the fourth quarter.

With 48 seconds left, TL still has yet to score in the fourth quarter, but a foul will send the Ducks to the line for a one-and-one. A line violation ends that opportunity, though, and the Ducks again come away empty handed.

Hoff hits two free throws with 13 seconds left and TL takes the lead. On LR’s next possession, the Raiders turn the ball over with 6.2 seconds left.

Toutle Lake 40, Lake Roosevelt 38 final