Colfax boys fight off Lancers, Chargers

Two big wins in the last rounds of league play and the luck of the draw landed the Colfax boys in the number-two slot of the District 7 show which will be waged over the next two weeks at Mead and Mt. Spokane.

The Bulldogs tied Northwest Christian at the top of the league standings with a 15-1 run, but they landed in the two slot because of the results of a pre-season draw which was conducted to resolve ties. Colfax drew the number-seven card, and NWC drew number three to get the top slot.

FINAL BI-C BOYS STANDINGS

NW Christian 15-1 18-2

Colfax 15-1 18-2

Reardan 9-7 10-10

St. George's 9-7 10-10

Davenport 7-9 10-10

Lind/Ritz/Sp 7-9 10-10

Springdale 5-11 7-12

Liberty 5-11 6-14

Kettle Falls 0-16 1-19

The Bulldogs are now booked to play in the 5 p.m. game Saturday at Mead against the winner of the 7-10 game set for tonight.

After the league's closing round Tuesday, Springdale and Liberty were tied in the seven slot. Republic, an independent 2B school since the end of the Panorama, gets the 10 slot.

The final round Tuesday left four ties in the league race.

The two-week District 7 run will send three teams into the regional round. The first and the third-place teams will travel to Wenachtee while the number-two team will play at University Feb. 5. The top team can book a state-eight berth at Spokane with a win the first day at Wenatchee.

Colfax finished the league run Saturday night on the home boards by shaking off Liberty's Lancers in the second half for a 47-34 win. Justin Berarducci, who picked up 11 points off the toss line, led Colfax with 17 points.

Liberty Coach Mike Thacker had the Lancers in a defensive mode and the seventh-place club frustrated Colfax in the first quarter. The Bulldogs were unable to get the long-range shots to drop, and Liberty carved out a 6-5 lead after the slim pickings in the first quarter.

Colfax came alive for 17 points in the second quarter and gradually took control of the game with Berarducci and Alex Teade rattling the Lancers on the inside.

Liberty out-boarded the Bulldogs 39-31, but the Lancers turned the ball over 20 times.

Friday at Springdale, the Bulldogs pegged 21-5 edge in the last quarter to nail a 20-point win, 83-63, over the Chargers. Springdale's full bore game kept them in contention up to the last frame. They hit a 38-38 tie at the half and trailed by just four beans going into the last quarter.

Berarducci also had the high Bulldog mark at Springdale with 24 points. The Bulldog junior also pulled down 16 rebounds.

Kyle Johnson booked 18 outside points for the night with six three pointers.

Springdale's Colton Peone hit a game-high 34 with 29 of those off field goals, including a trio of three-point shots.

Seniors wrapping up their hoop careers on the Colfax court Saturday night were Alex Teade, Andy Scholz, Kellen Morgan, John Molyneaux and Devyn Davis.

Colfax 47- Liberty 34: 5/6 17/9 17/8 8/11: Brandon Gfeller 5 (2-3pt) 1-4 13, Kyle Johnson 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Alex Teade 2 3-4 7, James Robinson 2 1-2 5, Justin Berarducci 3 11-16 17. Total: 14 16-28 f-21 47. Liberty: Dylan Salsburg 3 2-3 8, Gus Simmons 0 2-2 2, Terry Veile 1 0-2 2, Eric Hammond 0 3-6 3, Zach Kunkel 0 2-2 2, Jordan Green 4 0-1 8, Ross Collins 4 1-2 9. Total: 12 10-18 f-19 34.

Colfax 83-Springdale 63: 20/13 18/25 24/20 21/5: Gfeller 6 (4-3pt) 0-0 16, Johnson 6 (all 3pt) 0-0 18, Jay Hart 0 2-2 2, Robinson 4 (3pt) 0-1 9, Andy Scholz 2 0-0 4, Teade 2 0-0 4, Kellen Morgan 0 2-2 2, Tyler Stevenson 1 2-2 4, Berarducci 11 2-3 24. Total: 32 8-10 f-17 83. Springdale: Daylin Peone 1 (3pt) 0 0-0 3, Alvin Welch 2 0-0 4, Connor Parker 0 1-2 1, Colton Peone 13 (3-3pt) 5-5 34, Rodney Abrahamson 3 2-4 8, Kendall Peone 4 3-4 11, Chase Fitzgerald 1 0-0 2. Total: 24 11-15 f-14 63.