League battles ahead after holiday games

Hannah Sims of the Spartans sends an outlet pass out of the paint over Medical Lake's Megan LaJeunesse in the championship game at Rosalia. Briann Maley (20) and Kristin Paulson are in back for the Eagles. Cassi Nilles of ML is behind Sims.

A big battle looms this weekend when the girls SE loop cranks up after adventures during the Christmas break. The two league leaders, Colton and St. John, are slated to collide Saturday night at St. John.

The Wildcats, who were dominating foes before the break, will face a tough Rosalia club on the Spartans court Friday night, and the SJE team will roll to LaCrosse for a west side neighborhood matchup.

Colton Tuesday dropped Grangeville 70-54 with Haley Moser hitting 26 points, including six three-pointers. The two clubs battled most of the way, but Colton turned it up in the last quarter to open the gap.

McKenzie Heaslet hit 19 for the Wildcats.

Grangeville is the lone team to peg a win over Colton this year.

St. John/Endicott Tuesday moved their win string to eight games with a 53-42 win at Wellpinit with Alli Winters dropping 15 points and Gretchen Van Lith hitting 14.

Last Thursday the Eagles pegged their seventh win with a 50-39 Friday at Davenport. Michal Schuster led the Eagles with 9 points. The Eagles led 28-19 at the break and the Gorillas couldn’t close the gap in the second half.

Rosalia girls Friday night battled with Medical Lake all four quarters, but failed to close the gap against the 2A guests who took the top Rosalia tourney trophy for the girls side. The Cardinals, who moved out to a lead in the 10 point range, finished with a 50-41 win.

Speedster Amelia Cook hit 25 points for the Cardinals, arrived in Rosalia with a 2-4 record. They were put on the edge late in the game after losing 6-1 post Sabrina Earle on fouls at the top of the last quarter.

The Sparts, who at one point closed to within six points, were led by 18 points from Briann Maley.

Rosalia opened the tourney Thursday, a day late because of last Wednesday’s blizzard, with a 48-439 win over Asotin in double overtime. The nine point win margin was stacked in the last frame when the Panthers failed to score a point.

The two teams tied 34-34 in reg time and each added five in the first overtime.

Maley uncorked 19 against the Panthers and Tayler Nelson totaled 10.

Garfield/Palouse girls, who will travel to Touchet Friday to resume league play, pegged a 57-23 win at Potlatch Tuesday with Kaycie Adair hitting 25 and Taylor Redman hitting 21.

LaCrosse/Washtucna girls bowed to Dayton 28-45 in the first round of the Dayton tourney last Wednesday, but the Tigercats logged a forfeit win over the Kennewick jayvees the next night.

TUESDAY

Colton 70-Grangeville 54: 17/16 19/14 17/16 17/9: Jenna Moser 1, Haley Moser 26, McKenzie Heaslet 19, Grace Druffel 3, Mikayla Nygreen 2, Kaitlin Druffel 6, Erin Weber 3, Mollie Kramer 10. Grangeville: Stewart 4, Adams 8, Brown 17, Canaday 12, Solberg 7, Deford 6.

Garfield/Palouse 57-Potlatch 23: 17/8 10/4 16/5 14/6: Holly Leendertsen 2, Kaycie Adair 25, Taylor Redman 21, Missy Johnson 2, Madisyn Woltering 6, Taylor 1. Potlatch: Heighes 9, Musick 5, Larson 6, Nygaard 3.

St. John 53-Wellpinit 42: Alli Winters 15, Emily Kucklick 4, Sami Bailey 2, Haley Reiber 4, Kaylea Newton 4, Gretchen Van Lith 14, Michal Schuster 3, Erin Schuster 3. Wellpinit: Ali 3, K.. Flett 8, Brown 8, L Flett 9, Parr 14.

FRIDAY SCORING

Medical Lake 50-Rosalia 41: Amelia Cook 25, Cassi Nilles 7, Megan LaJeunesse 2, Natalie Pendell 12, Sabrina Earle 2. Rosalia: Briann Maley 18, Tayler Nelson 2, Mackenzie Reddish 8. Hanah Sims 4, Maddy St. John 2.

THURSDAY

Rosalia 48-Asotin 39 (ot): 6/7 14/11 7/11 7/5 5/5 9/0: Maddy St. John 2, Tayler Nelson 10, Hannah Sims 2, Briann Maley 19, Mackenzie Reddish 6, Kristin Paulson 9. Asotin: Whittaker 2, Nelson 4, Shriver 4, Reynolds 13, Jose 16.

St. John/Endicott 50-Davenport 39: 15/11 13/8 11/8 11/12: Winters 6, Kucklick 7, Bailey 2, Reiber 2, Newton 4, Van Lith 8, M. Schuster 9, E. Schuster 4, Emily Jones 8. Davenport: Brantley 5, Mielke 19, Madison 5, Choate 2, Zeller 6, Hudkins 2.