2A State Basketball Tournament update No. 1 River Ridge girls survive challenge by Lynden
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Samira McDonald hit a 3-pointer with 18
seconds to play, and top-ranked River Ridge survived an opening
round scare with a 47-44 win over Lynden on Wednesday in the Class
2A girls state tournament opener.
The Hawks (23-1) trailed most of the second half, taking only
their second lead on McDonald's trey for a 46-44 lead. Kelsey
Russell added a free throw with 13 seconds left, and Lynden was
unable to get off a good attempt at the end.
Samira McDonald finished with 10 points, while Necy Wade and
Jasmine McDonald scored nine each. Wade pulled down 10 rebounds as
the Hawks managed a 50-46 rebounding edge.
Riley Beard led the Lions (18-7), last year's 2A champs, with 20
points and 11 rebounds. The Lady Lions will face East Valley of
Yakima tomorrow at 9am you can hear that game on KPUG.
Lynden holds off River Ridge 39-36 in Class 2A
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Dakota Shagren pushed Lynden ahead for good
with a 3-pointer, and the Lions went on for a 39-36 first-round
victory over River Ridge on Wednesday in the Class 2A boys state
tournament.
Shagren's trey came near the end of an 18-7 Lynden run that
wiped out a 27-20 deficit late in the third quarter.
Jake Dewitt scored 14 points and Nyles Vaner 12 for the Lions
(20-5). Shagren's trey was his only points in the game.
Joel King and Brad Wallace scored eight points each to lead RR
(18-6).
The Hawks committed 21 turnovers, which Lynden turned into 19
points - including seven in the second half.
Ray Neal grabbed 10 rebounds for RR, which outrebounded Lynden
33-26.
Ryan Seto grabbed eight rebounds for the Lions.
The Lynden boys will play Deer Park tomorrow you can hear that game
on KPUG at 5:30pm.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Colard leads Elma past Squalicum in Class 2A
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Katie Colard poured in 25 points to lead
third-ranked Elma past Squalicum 65-44 in the first round of the
Class 2A girls state tournament Wednesday.
Colard made 10 of 24 shots, including three 3-pointers, as the
Eagles (20-4) built a 39-25 halftime lead and were never threatened
in the second half.
Brandi Thomas added 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Carly Meister
grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds for Elma.
Elma shot 43 percent (28 of 65) for the game, including 49
percent (16 of 33) in the first half. The Eagles turned 10 Storm
turnovers into 13 points.
Taylor Ulrich scored 20 points for Squalicum (17-8), and Kortney
Grattic and Sarah Stackhouse each grabbed six rebounds.
You can hear the Storm girl over on AM 930 tomorrow at 12:30
vs. Kingston.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Buchert's 28 leads Ephrata past Mount Baker 63-50
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Ross Buchert poured in a game-high 28
points, and second-ranked Ephrata powered to a 63-50 first-round
victory over Mount Baker on Wednesday in the Class 2A boys state
tournament.
The Tigers (21-2) rallied from a 28-23 halftime deficit, using a
22-9 run in the third quarter. Buchert, who scored 23 in the second
half, gave the Tigers the lead for good with a trey that made it
35-32 with 2:55 to play in the third.
Patrick Simon, who finished with 20 points, scored 10 in each
half.
Ephrata rebounded from shooting just 27 percent (7 of 26) in the
first half to sink 65 percent (11 of 17) of its shots in the final
two quarters.
Mount Baker was the opposite, shooting 38 percent (12 of 32) in
the first half but just 23 percent (8 of 35) in the second half.
Anderson Bass scored 14 points to lead Mount Baker, Taylor
Engels had 12 and Zach Stalin 10.
Simon grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, but Mount Baker
outrebounded Ephrata 43-21. You can hear Mt. Baker vs. Hockinson
on KPUG tomorrow at 12:30pm.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Squalicum routs Clarkston 94-64 in Class 2A opener
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Derek Dickerson poured in 20 points and led
four Squalicum players in double figures as the top-ranked Storm
routed Clarkston 94-64 on Wednesday in the first round of the Class
2A boys state tournament.
Dickerson scored 18 points in the first half as the defending
champion Storm raced out to a 45-34 halftime lead. Michael Greene
scored 11 of his 19 points after halftime, when Squalicum pulled
away.
Caleb Thompson added 13 points and Keith Stackhouse 10 for
Squalicum (23-1).
The Storm shot 69 percent (40 of 58) for the game, including 83
percent (19 of 23) in the second half. Clarkston (16-7) made 40
percent (25 of 63) in the contest.
Mitch Carey scored 11 points and Chanse Brownell 10 for the
Bantams.
Squalicum dominated the backboards, 41-18. Thompson pulled down
nine and Greene six for the Storm; Bryce James grabbed seven for
Clarkston.
The Storm boys will play either Steilacoom of Mark Morris
tomorrow at 9:00pm. That game can be heard on AM 790.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tajuan Porter scored 32 points, including
eight in overtime, and Oregon rallied for an 82-80 victory over
Washington State on Wednesday night in the Pac-10 Conference
tournament opener.
The victory ensured Ernie Kent at least another game to coach
the Ducks. Multiple media outlets have reported that he's already
been fired, but Kent has not commented on his status.
Washington State's Reggie Moore missed a jumper at the buzzer
that would have sent the game into a second overtime.
The eighth-seeded Ducks (16-15) advanced to a quarterfinal game
against top-seeded California (21-9) on Friday.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points and made six 3-pointers for No.
9-seeded Washington State (16-15), which had five players score in
double figures. Marcus Capers added 16 points.
(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.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Lee makes striking debut for Mariners
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) - Cliff Lee accomplished his primary
objective in his spring debut for Seattle, throwing 36 of 46
pitches for strikes over three innings in the Mariners' 6-3 victory
over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
The delayed debut of Seattle's prized offseason acquisition came
after surgery last month to remove a bone spur in his left foot.
The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner gave up a run and five singles
with a strikeout and a walk.
Lee said his No. 1 goal against Texas was to locate his
fastball. The left-hander said his foot is "a non-issue."
Mike Sweeney, a 15-year veteran who signed a minor league deal
right before camp, had a three-run double for Kansas City and is 10
for 13 in four spring games.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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.)
Pac-10 adjusts men's tournament bracket
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Pac-10 Conference has adjusted game times
for the quarterfinal evening session of the men's tournament at
Staples Center on Thursday.
The first game of the evening will be No. 2 seed Arizona State
against seventh-seeded Stanford, while No. 3 seed Washington will
play sixth-seeded Oregon State in the night's second game.
The conference said that as the higher seed in the evening
session, Arizona State earned the right to extra recovery time
should it advance to Friday's semifinal.
Brandon Roy has 19 points in Blazers' 88-81 win over Kings
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Brandon Roy scored 19 points and hit a
clinching jumper with just over two minutes left, leading the
Portland Trail Blazers to an 88-81 victory over the Sacramento
Kings on Tuesday night.
The Kings pulled to a 74-all tie in the final quarter, but Roy's
jumper with 2:07 remaining made it 85-78 and all but sealed it for
the Blazers, who have won five in a row against the Kings.
Tyreke (ty-REEK') Evans had 18 points for the Kings, who have
lost three in a row overall.
Roy added eight rebounds for Portland. Nicolas Batum and Andre
Miller each scored 14 points.
Marcus Camby returned after sitting out the Blazers' last game
with a sprained left ankle.
Former EWU guard Stuckey cleared for exercise
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - The Detroit Pistons say three doctors
have cleared Rodney Stuckey for exercise after a heart evaluation.
Stuckey collapsed on the bench during Friday's game at Cleveland
and was taken away on a stretcher. He missed Sunday's game against
Houston and will be out again Wednesday against Utah.
Stuckey missed two games last season after experiencing
dizziness during a game.
The third-year pro from Seattle is averaging 17 points, five
assists and four rebounds for the rebuilding Pistons.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Washington DE Pulu suspended for team violation
SEATTLE (AP) - Washington coach Steve Sarkisian says freshman
defensive end Andru Pulu is suspended indefinitely for violation of
team rules.
The school made the announcement on Tuesday and said there would
be no further comment on the matter.
Pulu played in 11 games as a freshman last season, mostly on
special teams but also in a rotation at defensive end. He recorded
just two tackles and a half sack in his limited time on defense.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Pondexter, Thomas named first-team all-Pac-10
SEATTLE (AP) - Quincy Pondexter has been named Pac-10 player of
the week for a record fifth time. That still wasn't good enough to
be named Pac-10 player of the year.
The player of the year honor went to California's Jerome Randle
on Monday. Pondexter was named to the league's first team along
with teammate Isaiah Thomas.
Pondexter is having one of the finest seasons in school history,
averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds as the Huskies' lone senior.
Washington is the No. 3 seed heading into this week's Pac-10
tournament in Los Angeles.
Washington's Justin Holiday and Venoy Overton were also honored
by the conference, being named to the all-defensive team.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
UW's Pondexter 'fasted' after previous snub
SEATTLE (AP) - Quincy Pondexter likens not winning the Pac-10
player of the year award despite setting a record this season for
most player of the week honors to a high-school snub that took him
years to get past.
Washington's only senior was effusive Tuesday praising the
conference's winner, Jerome Randle of Pac-10 champion California.
Then Pondexter said not winning reminds him of not being named
to the prestigious McDonald's All-America team while in high school
in Fresno, Calif.
He was so mad at the fast-food giant for choosing what he
thought were inferior players, he boycotted his daily staple for
three-plus years.
Then last summer while in Serbia playing in the World University
Games, Pondexter found food "that looked like it had pigs eyes in
it." That forced him from his personal stand.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
3 Cougars get Pac-10 honors
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Three Washington State players have earned
postseason honors from the Pacific-10 Conference.
Klay Thompson was picked for the all-conference team. DeAngelo
Casto was named to the all-defensive team, and was also an
honorable mention to the all-conference team.
Reggie Moore was named to the all-freshman team.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
UW AD: Jackson will remain women's hoops coach
SEATTLE (AP) - Washington athletic director Scott Woodward says
women's basketball coach Tia Jackson will return next season.
Woodward told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the
37-year-old Jackson will come back for the fourth season of a
five-year contract. That is despite the worst three-year record in
the program's history.
Woodward says he has "all the confidence in the world in Tia"
after seeing marked progress this season.
Washington is 12-16 and 7-11 in the Pac-10 entering Thursday's
conference tournament game against Oregon State. The Huskies were
picked to finish last in the league but won their last three
regular-season games to finish tied for sixth.
The former assistant at Virginia Commonwealth, Stanford, UCLA
and Duke replaced June Daugherty in April 2007.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Weber State holds off Portland State 69-60
OGDEN, Utah (AP) - Damian Lillard had 23 points, Franklin
Session added 13 points and eight rebounds and top-seeded Weber
State held off Portland State 69-60 on Tuesday night in the Big Sky
Conference tournament semifinals.
The Wildcats (20-9) advanced to play Montana in the championship
game Wednesday night despite one of their worst shooting nights of
the season, going 20-for-60 from the floor. The Wildcats also
struggled from the foul line and had a difficult time pulling away
from the pesky Vikings (13-19), who won the last two Big Sky
tournament titles.
Dominic Waters had 19 points to lead the Vikings before fouling
out with 23 seconds to play. He was one of four Portland State
players to foul out.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Saint Mary's upsets Gonzaga in WCC title game
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Mickey McConnell scored 26 points, Ben Allen
added 20 and Saint Mary's upset No. 18 Gonzaga with an 81-62
victory Monday night in the West Coast Conference tournament title
game.
Omar Samhan had nine points and seven rebounds for the Gaels
(26-5), who earned the sixth NCAA tournament berth in the small Bay
Area school's history with a remarkable shooting performance
against the top-seeded Zags (26-6), the 10-time regular-season WCC
champions.
McConnell and Allen hit four 3-pointers apiece, propelling the
Gaels to a first-half lead before an electric 18-7 run down the
second-half stretch.
Saint Mary's won the WCC tournament for just the second time
since it began in 1987, beating Gonzaga for the first time in 10
tourney meetings.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Seattle sends QB Wallace to Cleveland for pick
RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Mike Holmgren is already making deals with
his former team.
The Seattle Seahawks traded backup quarterback Seneca Wallace to
the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2011 undisclosed draft pick.
A Seahawks spokesman confirmed the deal Monday night.
Wallace spent his entire seven-year career with the Seahawks,
and was always a favorite of Holmgren's when he was Seattle's
coach. Now the Browns' team president, Holmgren has brought Wallace
to Cleveland.
Wallace's best season was 2008 when he started eight games in
Holmgren's last season and threw for 1,532 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Wallace started two games last season while starter Matt Hasselbeck
was injured.
Wallace was also sometimes used as a wide receiver and returner
in Seattle.
(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) Cal's Jerome Randle wins Pac-10 player of the year award
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (AP) - California guard Jerome Randle has
been picked as the Pac-10 player of the year.
Randle averaged 18.7 points and 4.5 assists per game. He helped
the Golden Bears win their first conference title in 50 years.
Other award recipients chosen by the league Monday include
Arizona forward Derrick Williams, picked as the league's top
freshman; Arizona State's Herb Sendek was selected as the coach of
the year, Oregon State's Seth Tarver was named defensive player of
the year, and Southern California's Nikola Vucevic won most
improved player.
The awards are voted on by the league's coaches.
Seattle's Garcia declares for NBA draft
SEATTLE (AP) - Charles Garcia is wasting no time. The Seattle
University forward is declaring for the NBA draft effective the end
of the Redhawks season.
The 6-foot-10 forward with skills to play on the perimeter made
the announcement on Monday. The Redhawks concluded their regular
season on Saturday with a 74-64 win over Utah Valley and have a
slight chance of playing in one of the smaller postseason
tournaments.
Garcia averaged 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as the
Redhawks finished the regular season 17-14. But he caught the
attention of NBA scouts early by putting up huge numbers in the
first half of the season before tapering off after the new year.
He scored a season-high 41 points against Wofford and scored 25
or more points six times.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) 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)
