SE playoffs start tonight at Palouse, St. John

Southeast B contenders tonight begin the playoff quest for the state championships in Spokane - or at least Walla Walla and Wenatchee.

District play starts tonight, Thursday, with three-seed Garfield/Palouse hosting six-seed Pomeroy and four-seed St. John/Endicott hosting five-seed Touchet.

Rosalia’s Spartans, who finished a league run without a loss last weekend for the top slot, will host the SJE-Touchet winner Saturday. Number two Colton, will host the GP-Pomeroy winner.

Losers Thursday will be kicked into consolation play, which begins next Tuesday at Colfax. Action at Colfax next Friday and Saturday will send the league’s top two teams to the opening round of the new state tourney.

Top seed opens at Walla Walla. Number-two travels to Wenatchee.

Touchet clinched the five spot with a pair of weekend wins.

Pomeroy goes in at sixth with a 4-10 league mark. Tekoa/Oakesdale, which posted the same record, was bumped out because they lost to Pomeroy in both rounds of the league run.

Top dog Rosalia wrapped up league play with a 73-39 win at LaCrosse/Washtucna Saturday night. The Spartans turned out a 28-3 lead in the first quarter and rolled from there. Nathan Richards put up 18 points and D.J. Brown had 17 to lead Rosalia. Jeff Zimmer’s 18 topped LW.

FINAL SE 1B BOYS STANDINGS

Rosalia 14-0 19-1

Colton 11-3 13-7

Garfield/Pal. 7-7 9-10

St. John/End. 7-7 9-9

Touchet 6-8 7-12

Pomeroy 4-10 5-14

Tekoa/Oakes. 4-10 5-15

LaX/Washtucna 3-11 6-14

Friday saw the Spartan defense in full action as they held off a late Garfield/Palouse charge to put up a 45-32 win at Rosalia. The Vikings pulled to within five points to start the fourth quarter, but the stiff Spartan defense squelched the rally, only allowing GP two points in the final frame. Nathan Richards posted 13 points and 12 rebounds to lead Rosalia.

Colton finished its run through league play with a 63-51 win at Palouse Saturday night. The Wildcats were led by 24 points each from Josh Straughan and Dustin Patchen.

Friday night, the Wildcats came out on top of a last-second thriller at home against the cardiac kids of St. John/Endicott.

Down by two with three seconds left, Colton point guard Josh Straughan drove into the key, drew in the Eagle defenders and popped his 11th assist to Dustin Patchen for the game-winning layup.

Patchen hit 17 points on the game. Straughan added 16. Taylor Spence had 13 points and 13 boards.

Ben Harrison topped the Eagles with 15.

The Eagles finished on the other side of the buzzer-beater Saturday, a 53-50 at Pomeroy. The Pirates were up nine in the third, but SJE closed the gap and pulled ahead in the final moments. Mason Van Lith hit 24.

Touchet claimed the fifth seed in easy fashion Friday with a 56-35 win over Pomeroy. The Indians rolled out to a 12-point first quarter lead and cruised from there. Vicente Flores’ 16 points were tops for the game.

Saturday, the Indians ended Tekoa/Oakesdale’s season with a 38-32 win. Matt Kates had 13 points to lead Touchet, which used a 13-7 fourth quarter to break the game. Earl Gaines had 13 points to top the ‘hawks.

Tekoa/Oakesdale ended LaCrosse/ Washtucna’s season Friday in a 58-48 survivor game at LaCrosse. SiCha Tallman’s hot hand lifted the Nighthawks to a second half flurry for the win. Tallman finished with 17 and Joseph Tampien put up 15. Jeff Zimmer put up 20 to pace the Tigercats.

SATURDAY SCORING

Rosalia 73- LaCrosse/Washtucna 39: 28/3 12/11 21/11 12/14: Nathan Richards 18, D.J. Brown 17, Damien Loucks 10, Casey Brown 9, Flash Hodges 9, Tom Carrothers 4, Jared Hereford 2, Toby Gelhaus 2, Scott Eberle 2. LW: Jeff Zimmer 18, Chris Wargo 9, Sam Harder 6, Jed Zimmer 4, Matt Stubbs 2.

Colton 63- Garfield/Palouse 51: 17/11 16/5 10/12 20/23: Josh Straughan 24, Dustin Patchen 24, Taylor Spence 5, Jake Straughan 5, Travis Hoyle 3, Steve Eacker 2. GP: Blake Slocum 18, Race Martin 14, J.B. Lange 14, Nathan Cocking 4, Chad Redman 2, Jesse Lopez 1.

St. John/Endicott 53- Pomeroy 50: 18/13 8/12 7/13 20/12: Mason Van Lith 24, Cole McCanna 10, Joey Kucklick 8, Dallas Schluneger 2, Kyle Raynor 2, Lee Perrill 2, Ben Harrison 2, Evan Raynor 1, Jones 2. Pomeroy: Sean Beale 15, Mitch Ruchert 13, Justin Ruark 9, Mac Wolf 7, Tanner Feider 4, Cody Lamunyan 2.

Touchet 38- Tekoa/Oakesdale 32: 7/7 8/4 10/14 13/7: Kates 13, Flores 8, Hines 7, Hodenfield 6, Preciado 2, Huesby 2. TO: Earl Gaines 13, Joe Gaines 6, Joseph Tampien 5, SiCha Tallman 5, Riley Schell 2, Lance Lindgren 1.

FRIDAY SCORING

Touchet 56- Pomeroy 35: 18/6 12/6 14/8 12/15: Flores 16, Hodenfield 15, Kates 11, Hines 7, Huesby 4, Weber 3. Pomeroy: Ruchert 7, Beale 6, Wolf 6, Lamunyan 5, Feider 3, Lueck 3, Ruark 3, FitzGerald 2.

Colton 55- St. John/Endicott 54: 14/15 9/9 15/18 17/12: Patchen 17, Jo. Straughan 16, Spence 13, Eacker 4, Ja. Straughan 3, Hoyle 2. SJE: Harrison 15, McCanna 9, Kucklick 9, Van Lith 7, E. Raynor 7, K. Raynor 6.

Tekoa/Oakesdale 58- LaCrosse/Washtucna 48: 12/11 13/10 10/13 23/14: Tallman 17, Tampien 15, J. Gaines 9, Lindgren 6, Schulz 5, E. Gaines 4, Renstrom 2. LW: Jeff Zimmer 20, Summers 8, Wargo 8, Jed Zimmer 5, J. Wargo 3, Stubbs 2, C. Harder 2.

Rosalia 45- Garfield/Palouse 32: 15/4 14/11 6/15 10/2: Richards 13, Hereford 8, C. Brown 7, Hodges 6, Eberle 6, D.J. Brown 3, Loucks 2. GP: Cocking 8, Griffin 8, Lange 6, Martin 5, Allen 3, Slocum 2.