Wildcats claw top spot in league tourney

Colton’s Wildcats will roll into Doc Hardy’s gym in Endicott as the top seed in next week’s SE 1B league tournament. The Wildcats earned the top spot after sinking number two St. John/Endicott 75-57 Friday night at St. John.

The tournament opens tonight, Thursday, with league No. 6 Garfield/Palouse traveling to No. 3 Rosalia and No. 5 LaCrosse/Washtucna at No. 4 Pomeroy.

Top two seeds earned first round byes and home games Saturday against the winners of Thursday’s tilts. Losers of the weekend’s games will face each other in elimination matches to open the Endicott leg of the tournament on St. Valentine’s Day.

League championship game will be played next Friday, Feb. 17, in Hardy’s house.

Colton capped a perfect season with a pair of weekend wins.

Friday night’s one-two game warranted top billing, but the ‘cats made quick work of SJE, as guards Josh and Jake Straughan dead-eyed a flurry of jump shots in a 20-9 first quarter.

With star center Dustin Patchen sidelined with foul trouble for much of the game, the Wildcat’s Straughan backcourt stepped up. Josh canned 20 points; Jake 17.

Even with his minutes limited, Patchen posted 17 points.

Cole McCanna was the Eagles’ top gun, nailing 20 points, mostly on fast-break buckets as SJE slowed down its usual frantic pace to tangle with the lanky Colton squad.

The Eagles posted two losses on the season, both to Colton.

Colton capped its perfect league run with a 66-38 home win over Garfield/Palouse Saturday.

Dalton Patchen was the big man for the ‘cats with 20 points, as again Colton roared out a fast first quarter lead, 17-4. Jesse Lopez topped the Vikes with 14 points.

The Eagles soared back from Friday’s clunker to cruise past visiting Pomeroy 82-66 Saturday night. The game featured a break-neck open with the two squads combining for 55 first quarter points. SJE kept up the pace to pull away in the second and third, outscoring the Pirates 44-18.

Kaleb Simon plunked down a game-high 23 points to lead four Eagles in double figures. Mitch Ruchert and Tanner Feider had 16 each for the bucs.

Rosalia broke a third-place log jam by sweeping its weekend slate.

The Spartans turned up the heat in the third quarter Friday night to down Gar/Pal behind Damian Loucks’ game-high 23 points. Craig Nelson put up 18 for the orange.

Loucks went even bigger Saturday, hitting the score book for 31 to lead Rosalia to a 68-48 win over visiting LaCrosse/Washtucna. Jake Aune’s 14 led the T-cats.

Loucks’ weekend performance, which included 9-of-14 from three-point land, earned him the title of WIAA athlete of the week for the 1B ranks by the Seattle Times.

Pomeroy’s four slot came with a 45-40 home win over ousted Touchet Friday night. Matt FitzGerald notched a game-high 17 points.

LaCrosse/Washtucna sank Tekoa/Oakesdale 68-38 Friday night at Oakesdale.

The Nighthawks ended their interminably long season with a heartbreaking loss against Touchet Saturday night.

Winless coming into the final game, the Nighthawks played tough throughout the first three quarters to put up a 38-32 lead. But the Indians charged back to close the gap and then some, finishing with a 53-47 win that left the hapless ‘hawks heartbroken and winless.

FRIDAY SCORING

Colton 78- St. John/Endicott 57: 20/9 19/10 20/16 19/22: Josh Straughan 20, Jake Straughan 17, Dustin Patchen 17, Dalton Patchen 14, Zach Devorak 8. SJE: Cole McCanna 20, Kaleb Simon 11, Dakota White 10, Evan Jones 6, Zach Holingsworth 3, Joey Kucklick 3.

Pomeroy 45- Touchet 40: 12/9 18/12 5/6 10/13: Matt FitzGerald 17, Mitch Ruchert 13, Riley Bott 7, Tanner Feider 4, Tyler Feider 2, Kade Snyder 2. Touchet: Eric Hines 9, Colter McKeown 8, Will Huesby 8, Zach Carson 6, Connor McKeown 3.

Rosalia 57- Garfield/Palouse38: 12/10 10/6 18/10 17/12:

Damian Loucks 23, Craig Nelson 18, Grant Gelhause 8, Nathan Sims 4, David Littleton 2, Ryan Maley 2. GP: Jesse Lopez 11, Anthony Floyd 9, Wyatt Mitchell 8, Nathan Cocking 6, Tyson Lowley 4.

SATURDAY SCORING

Colton 66- Garfield/Palouse 38: 17/4 16/12 17/9 16/13: Da. Patchen 20, Du. Patchen 15, Ja. Straughan 14, Jo. Straughan 13, Devorak 2, Jake Riedner 2. GP: Lopez 14, Cocking 9, Floyd 6, Tyler Thurman 4, Mitchell Jamison 4, Mitchell 1.

St. John/Endicott 82- Pomeroy 66: 27/28 21/15 23/13 11/10: Simon 23, Holingsworth 16, McCanna 15, Kucklick 10, White 8, Jones 8. Pomeroy: Ruchert 16, Ta. Feider 16, Bott 13, Snyder 6, Mayfield 5, FitzGerald 4, Ty. Fieder 3, Cody LaMunyan 2.

Rosalia 68- LaCrosse/Washtucna 48: 17/8 9/11 21/15 21/14: Loucks 31, Gelhaus 10, Nelson 10, Will Dedic 5, Sims 4, Zane Brown 3, Littleton 3, Micah Pittsley 2. LW: Aune 14, Zimmer 13, Summers 10, Wargo 7, Stamper 3, Harder 1.