2A State Basketball Tournament update
The Lynden girls had their season come to an end
yesterday morning losing to East Valley of Yakima.
The Mount Baker boys are still alive after a 59-56 victory
over Hockinson. They play Clarkston Friday morning at 10:30am.
A game you can hear on KPUG.
The Squalicum girls got past Kingston 55-46 to keep playing
at the tournament. They will play this morning at 10:30am against
ArchBishop Murphy.That game can be heard on AM 930.
The Lynden Lions got past Deer Park 59-51. The Lions play
Burlington-Edison at 4pm Friday here on 1170 KPUG.
The Squalicum boys beat Mark Marris 80-63. Squalicum plays
Ephrata Friday night at 7:30pm.on 790 KGMI.
Lynden's hot-shooting dooms Deer Park, 59-31
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Seventh-ranked Lynden used 56 percent
shooting to cruise past clanging Deer Park 59-31 on Thursday and
into the semifinals of the Washington Class 2A boys state
tournament.
Jake DeWitt and Blair Bomber each scored 11 points for the Lions
(21-5), who converted 25 of 45 shots - including a decisive 14 of
20 (70 percent) in the second half.
Ryan Seto chipped in 10 points for Lynden, and Andrew Blair sank
three 3-pointers.
Uconn Peone scored 11 points for the Stags (16-8), who made just
21 percent (9 of 43) of their shots. They were just 2 of 22 in the
second half.
Lynden took the lead for good in the first quarter and put the
game away with a 19-7 run in the third period. Nyles Varner scored
six of his eight during that stretch.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Isaiah Thomas scored 15 points and
third-seeded Washington roared back from a big second-half deficit
to keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive with a 59-52 victory over
Oregon State in the Pac-10 quarterfinals Thursday night.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Elston Turner added 10 points apiece
for the Huskies (22-9), who trailed 35-23 with 16 1/2 minutes to play
before making a 23-4 run over the next eight minutes, playing with
all the passion that this underachieving team lacked in the first
half.
Washington will face Stanford in Friday's semifinals as the only
non-California school left in the tournament.
Roeland Schaftenaar had 17 points for the sixth-seeded Beavers
(14-17), who lost twice to Washington in six days.
Washington plays Stanford Friday night at 8pm right here on 1170 KPUG.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Roy scores 41, Portland comes back from 13 points down to beat
Warriors
OAKLAND, Calif. - Brandon Roy scored 41 points, Andre Miller
added 15 points and seven assists and the Portland Trail Blazers
overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the
Golden State Warriors 110-105 on Thursday night.
Rudy Fernandez added 12 points including a pair of pivotal
three-pointers during a late 17-3 run by the Blazers, who snapped a
nine-game losing streak at Oracle Arena.
Portland also avoided what would have been a costly defeat as it
tries to hold onto the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Corey Maggette scored 24 points and Monta Ellis added 17 before
fouling out in his first game back following a six-game absence for
Golden State, which lost its sixth straight.
The Blazers won for the fifth time in six games and moved a
season-high 11 games above .500.
It wasn't easy.
(The Associated Press) (from Broadcast News Ltd.) Stanford upsets Arizona State 70-61 in Pac-10
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jeremy Green scored 18 points, Landry Fields
added 17 and Stanford surprised second-seeded Arizona State 70-61
in the Pac-10 Conference tournament quarterfinals Thursday night.
The No. 7 Cardinal (14-17) advanced to Friday's semifinals
against the winner of the late game between No. 3 Washington and
sixth-seeded Oregon State.
Arizona State (22-10) swept the Cardinal during the regular
season for the first time since 2004-05. But on Thursday the Sun
Devils led just once - by one point early in the second half.
Rihards Kuksiks scored 15 points, all in the first half, before he
fouled out in the closing seconds.
Stanford immediately grabbed the lead back for good, running up
a 15-point advantage on a 3-pointer by Fields with 11:43 remaining.
It capped eight straight points by the first-team All-Pac-10
senior.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
UCLA defeats Arizona 75-69 in Pac-10 tourney
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Roll scored 19 points, Reeves Nelson
added 18 and UCLA held off Arizona 75-69 Thursday in a Pac-10
Conference tournament quarterfinal between two powerhouses that
once ruled the league but have struggled this season.
The entire conference has fallen down nationally, and after
getting six teams into the NCAA tournament each of the last two
seasons, the Pac-10 will be fighting to have two this time.
No schools better illustrate the league's current woes than
Arizona and UCLA, which have won a combined seven Pac-10 tourney
titles, with the Wildcats taking four in a row during one stretch.
Instead of playing for another title, though, the fourth-seeded
Wildcats and No. 5 Bruins were relegated to an afternoon
quarterfinal game in a half-empty Staples Center that had more
Arizona fans than those rooting for the local Bruins.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
2-time MVP Lauren Jackson re-signs with Storm
SEATTLE (AP) - Two-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson has re-signed
with the Seattle Storm.
The team announced Thursday that it signed Jackson to a
multiyear contract.
The first Seattle player to win two professional league MVP
awards has been with the Storm for all nine of her WNBA seasons.
Jackson says she is healthy and re-energized after a winter
playing at home in Australia.
She calls it "a very special connection that I share with the
city of Seattle." She says she is honored to be playing her 10th
WNBA season before the same fans who welcomed her into the league
in 2001.
Storm coach Brian Agler says "there's not a better player in
the WNBA than Lauren."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) T25-GONZAGA-AROP
Gonzaga player has foot surgery
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Gonzaga forward Mangisto Arop (uh-RAUP')
has undergone successful surgery to fix a broken left foot and will
miss the postseason.
Arop suffered a broken fifth metatarsal in Sunday's West Coast
Conference tournament semifinal win over Loyola Marymount. The
surgery pinned the bone to help the healing process.
Trainer Jennifer Nyland says he will be sidelined for about
eight weeks.
Arop came off the bench in all 31 games, averaging 3.5 points
and 3.8 rebounds.
P10-OREGON ST-WASHINGTON
Oregon State defeats Washington, 52-42
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Julie Futch had 17 points as Oregon State
rallied to upset Washington, 52-42, in the first round of the
women's Pac-10 Conference Tournament on Thursday.
Seventh-seeded Washington took its last lead when Sarah Morton
nailed a 3-pointer snapping a 33-33 tie with 11:31 remaining.
From there, Talisa Rhea responded with consecutive 3-pointers
during tenth-seeded Oregon State's 14-2 run that put the Beavers
ahead 47-38.
Sami Whitcomb led Washington (12-17) with 18 points.
Oregon State (11-19) advances to play second-seeded UCLA in a
quarterfinal game on Friday.
Haiden Palmer added 14 points for the Beavers, who entered the
game having lost 17 of their last 18.
After committing 13 turnovers in the first half, Oregon State
had just six in the second half.
The Beavers shot 42.9 percent from the field and had 12 steals.
PAC-10-ALL-CONFERENCE
Ogwumike named Pac-10 Player of the Year
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Stanford sophomore Nnemkadi Ogwumike was
named the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year on Thursday,
edging teammate and last year's top player, Jayne Appel.
Appel, junior forward Kayla Pedersen and sophomore Jeanette
Pohlen joined Ogwumike on the 15-player all-conference team. Senior
Rosalyn Gold-Onwude was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year with
Southern California's Briana Gilbreath and Arizona's Davellyn Whyte
was named Freshman of the Year.
UCLA's second-year coach Nikki Caldwell was named Coach of the
Year after leading the Bruins to a second-place finish in the
Pac-10 behind undefeated Stanford. UCLA came within four points of
beating the Cardinal in Los Angeles.
Ogwumike averaged a conference-leading 18.2 points and was third
in rebounding with a 9.4 average. Her 63.8 shooting percentage is
fourth in the nation.
Ogwumike recorded a conference-leading 14 games of 20 or more
points.
OREGON-JAMES AND MASOLI
Oregon's 2 big football names both facing court proceedings
(UNDATED (AP) - Running back LaMichael James and quarterback
Jeremiah Masoli will appear separately in court on Friday, the
latest turn in a tumultuous winter for the Oregon Ducks.
But beyond the eventual outcome in either case, a larger issue
looms: How will coach Chip Kelly handle his two star players, given
the questions that some of his disciplinary actions have raised in
the recent past?
James set a Pac-10 freshman record with more than 1,500 yards
rushing last season. He'll appear in Lane County Circuit Court on
misdemeanor charges of menacing, strangulation and assault.
James had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but has
told the court he is changing his plea. No details were immediately
available.
Masoli will be in the same courtroom later in the day for an
arraignment on a second-degree burglary charge, a felony.
MARINERS-GIANTS
Tim Lincecum struggles through another start
(Mariners 6, Giants 2.)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Tim Lincecum's (LINZ'-ih-kuhm's)
19-pitch first inning was an adventure.
A leadoff double to Ichiro (EE'-cheer-oh) Suzuki followed by a
walk. A flyout, then a strikeout on a double steal. And a two-run
single by old San Francisco teammate Ryan Garko. Eric Byrnes
eventually grounded out.
Lincecum is the two-time reigning National League Cy Young Award
winner, but doesn't quite look like himself yet at spring training
and struggled through 2-and-two-thirds innings in the Giants'
sloppy 6-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
He isn't one bit worried.
The hard-throwing righty got Ryan Langerhans on a swinging
strikeout to start his 17-pitch second on a change-up that bounced
in front of the plate.
Lincecum escaped the inning unscathed.
IDITAROD-LEADERS
Veteran Iditarod winners depart halfway point
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Four-time winner Jeff King and
defending champion Lance Mackey were the first racers in the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to depart from Cripple, the halfway
point in the 1,100-mile trek to Nome.
But eight more mushers are hard on their tracks.
King stayed in Cripple for five hours, departing at 5:21 p.m.
Thursday. Mackey rested about four hours and pressed on about 40
minutes after King.
king, Mackey and the eight racers who followed them out Thursday
evening have all taken their mandatory 24-hour layovers.
Race marshal Mark Nordman says Dallas Seavey of Seward, John
Baker of Kotzebue, four-time champion Martin Buser of Big Lake and
Bruce Linton of Kasilof are expected to take their 24-hour breaks
at Cripple.
Nordman says Iditarod veteran Linwood Fiedler of Willow became
the 7th musher to scratch, leaving a field of 64.
Another musher, rookie Justin Savidis of Willow, reported one of
his dogs, "Whitey," disappeared Wednesday between the Nikolai and
McGrath checkpoints.
NCAA INDOORS
Oregon, Tennessee hope to defend track titles
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Oregon will try to defend its national
championship in men's indoor track and field, while Tennessee hopes
for a repeat on the women's side.
The two-day NCAA championships start Friday in Fayetteville,
Ark.
Oregon and Tennessee were the indoor champions last year,
although Texas A&M swept the men's and women's outdoor titles in
Fayetteville in June.
Oregon coach Vin Lananna said Wednesday he would not travel with
his school's teams because of blood pressure issues, although he
left open the possibility of coming later in the week.
MIAMI OHIO-WASHINGTON
Danielle Lawrie's perfect game makes UW's night
(Washington 3, Miami, Ohio 0.)
SEATTLE (AP) - Reigning national player of the year Danielle
Lawrie threw a perfect game to cap the first home night contest in
Husky softball history as Washington blanked Miami of Ohio 3-0
Thursday.
Lawrie's second perfect game of the season for the top-ranked
Huskies (18-1), and a Washington-record third of her storied
career, included 14 strikeouts. She passed the 1,500-strikeout mark
for her career.
Lawrie is now 13-0 this season.
She struck out the side in the second and the sixth innings, and
fanned at least two in five of the seven innings.
She threw just 62 pitches in a game that lasted just one hour
and 36 minutes.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Aucoin lifts Coyotes past Canucks
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Adrian Aucoin scored in the sixth round
of a shootout, and Ilya Bryzgalov deflected Mason Raymond's final
attempt for Vancouver high over the net to give the Phoenix Coyotes
a 4-3 victory over the Canucks on Wednesday night.
Lee Stempniak scored twice, Taylor Pyatt added a goal and Vernon
Fiddler had two assists to help the Coyotes finish their four-game
post-Olympic homestand with three straight victories.
Henrik Sedin had a goal and an assist, and Mikael Samuelsson and
Christian Ehrhoff also scored for the Canucks, who lost for the
second time in six games.
Cubs GM Hendry lashes out at new Mariner Bradley
MESA, Ariz. (AP) - Cubs general manager Jim Hendry says Milton
Bradley should stop blaming the team, manager and fans for his
failure to produce during his tumultuous season in Chicago.
Hendry said Wednesday that signing Bradley to a three-year, $30
million contract before last season was "a mistake." He said the
atmosphere of the organization has improved since the outfielder
was traded to Seattle.
Bradley, who batted .257 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs last season,
was regularly booed at Wrigley Field. Bradley told ESPN in an
interview that aired Tuesday that he feared racist fans in Chicago
and felt like a prisoner in his own home.
Bradley also said manager Lou Piniella should have apologized in
front of the team instead of in private for a disparaging remark
last June.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) No.1 seed and host Western to play arch-rival Central in first round
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Host and No.1 seed Western Washington University will play arch-rival and No.8 seed Central Washington in the final game of Friday’s opening round at the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Men’s Basketball Tournament being held on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium. The pairings were announced Tuesday morning.
The Vikings, 25-5 overall, are 13-1 at home this season. Central is 16-10. The contest is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
The Western-Central game can be heard on KBAI (930 AM) Radio and all regional contests can be viewed via video stream at http://www.greatnorthwest.tv.
In other first round action, No.3 seed and Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Seattle Pacific (22-5) plays No.6 seed and Pacific West Conference co-champion BYU Hawaii (20-5) at 12:30 p.m., No.2 seed and California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament champion Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) meets No.7 seed Humboldt State (22-7) at 2:30 p.m., and No.4 seed Cal Poly Pomona (22-6) plays No.5 seed Dixie State (20-5) at 5:30 p.m.
It is the second consecutive year Western has been an NCAA II tournament host. Last year, the Vikings hosted a sub-regional as the No.2 seed in the West, falling to Seattle Pacific, 82-77, in the opening round.
Western, rated No.21 in last week’s National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, was No.2 in the region behind Seattle Pacific in the final regular-season rating Mar. 3. But the Falcons dropped a pair of games in Alaska last weekend, opening the door for the Vikings to host.
The Vikings have six seniors, five of whom start, and their top three scorers, who all played together at Highline Community College, earned GNAC all-star recognition.
Western guard Morris Anderson (Federal Way) and forward Derrick Webb (Port Orchard/South Kitsap) were both first-team picks, Anderson being a unanimous choice and a repeater.
Webb, who has scored double-figure points in a team-high 25 games, leads the Vikings in scoring at 16.1 points a game and is second in rebounding at 6.1 a contest.
Anderson averages 14.7 points and a team-high 5.2 assists. He leads the GNAC in steals (2.4 avg.) and free-throw percentage (86.7 percent), hitting a school-record 39 consecutive free throws earlier this season.
Forward Zach Bruce (Oceanside, CA), who received all-GNAC honorable mention, averages 10.7 points and team-high 6.4 rebounds, and is shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
Completing the Vikings’ starting lineup are guard Andrew Ready (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse), who contributes 8.1 points; and 7-foot center Dave Vanderjagt (Townsville, Australia), who averages 5.5 points and a team-high 1.0 blocks.
The sixth senior, reserve guard Harold McAllister, averages 6.7 points while shooting 51.4 percent on 3-pointers (37-of-72), and sophomore forward Rory Blanche (Ashland, OR) averages 8.4 points in just 18 minutes a game off the bench.
Western coach Brad Jackson is in his 25th season, with a career record of 470-262. He entered the season ranked No.18 among active NCAA II coaches in career victories, and No.38 in winning percentage (64.2). Jackson has directed WWU to 11 20-win seasons and 18 post-season appearances.
This is the fifth NCAA tournament appearance for the Vikings, and the fourth time Western has been at home for the post-season. The Vikings won the West Regional and eventually reached the national semifinals in 2001, and also earned tourney berths in 2005, 2006 and 2009.
The winners of the opening-round games meet in semifinal contests Saturday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., with the regional championship Monday at 7 p.m. The regional champion advances to the NCAA II Elite Eight at Springfield, Mass., on March 24-25, 27.
Tickets for the West Regional go on sale Tuesday at 11 a.m. They can be purchased by calling 360-650-2583 or on-line at www.wwuvikings.com. Reserved tickets are $10, general admission is $8 and student/youth/senior/WWU faculty with ID are $5. Tickets are good all day on multiple-game dates.
(www.wwuvikings.com) Viking women earn #3 seed in NCAA Division II tourney
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- The Western Washington University women’s basketball team is the No. 3 seed in the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Tournament and faces Chico State University in an opening-round game Friday at either 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. at Seattle Pacific University’s Royal Brougham Pavilion.
Western, which was ranked No.20 in last week’s USA Today/ESPN/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, enters the tournament with a 23-4 record. It is the 10th appearance in 11 years as a full NCAA member for the Vikings, who missed the post-season only in 2008.
In the other opening-round games at the West Regional, No.2 seed UC San Diego (24-4) faces No.7 Humboldt State University (19-10) at 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m., No.4 University of Alaska Anchorage (23-4) meets No.5 Cal Poly Pomona (22-6) at 5:30 p.m., and top seed Seattle Pacific University (24-3) hosts No.8 Hawaii Pacific University (17-6) at 7:30 p.m.
The Vikings met Chico State earlier this season, claiming an 80-59 victory on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium on Dec. 20.
Western is led by three players who each average better than 14 points a game. Junior guard Amanda Dunbar (Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck) is the top scorer at 17.3 points a game, the best mark by any Viking since the 1995-96 season. She ranks No.5 nationally in both treys per game (3.3) and in 3-point accuracy at a near school-record pace of 47.1 percent (88-of-187), with her 88 3-pointers being a school single-season record.
Senior center Jessica Summers (Blaine) is averaging 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds, sharing the GNAC lead in rebounds and being fourth in scoring.
Senior forward Willow Cabe (McCleary/Elma) is the third member of Western’s Big Three, contributing 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Senior guard Ashley Fenimore (Lynnwood/Meadowdale) averages 6.6 points and leads the GNAC in assists at 3.9 a game. Junior forward Megan Pinske (Coquitlam, BC/Port Moody) completes the starting lineup, contributing 7.7 points while leading the GNAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
Western coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 19th season as head coach with a 398-156 record (71.8) percent, and is leading the Vikings into post-season play for the 18th time. Dolfo entered the season ranked No.14 among active NCAA II coaches in winning percentage and No.23 in career victories.
Chico State enters the post-season 21-9, having won 13 of its last 15 games after an 8-7 start. The Wildcats ran off 10 straight victories prior to falling to host Humboldt State, 85-55, in the finals of the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament Saturday.
“I think it’s more fun in the tournament to play someone outside your conference that you haven’t seen for a while,” said Dolfo. “Chico State is an athletic team. They like to run, they’ve got some good shooters and they’re well coached. They play really hard.”
Junior guard Natasha Smith paces the Wildcats, averaging team-highs of 11.2 points and 3.7 assists. Senior guard Melissa Richardson contributes 10.3 points a contest, and sophomore guard Synchro Bull averages 10.0 points.
The two teams met at Seattle Pacific in the 2005 West Regional, the Wildcats claimed an 85-75 semifinal victory.
The regional semifinals are played Sat., Mar. 13, with the final Mon., Mar. 15. The regional champion advances to the NCAA II Elite Eight at St. Joseph, Missouri, on Mar. 23-26.
Host Seattle Pacific won the GNAC with a 15-1 conference record and has won 11 straight games. The Falcons’ last loss was to Western, 54-40, in Bellingham on Jan. 23, but SPU claimed a 70-67 triumph over the Vikings in Seattle on Feb. 20.
“I think the team is excited the tournament is in Seattle,” Dolfo said. “It gives the players a better opportunity to play in front of family and friends.”
Alaska Anchorage has won the last two West Region crowns, and Cal Poly Pomona, a five-time national champion, is making its first regional appearance since 2005.
This is the 37th post-season appearance in the 39-year history of women’s basketball at Western.
(wwu.wwuvikings.com)
