LaCrosse-Washtucna nips Colton 41-39

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Jan 09, 20130

“It’s gonna be on T.V.! It’s gonna be on T.V.!” said an excited grade-school kid in the cold outside Colton’s gym Friday night, before the Wildcats took on LaCrosse-Washtucna.

Colton’s Dalton Patchen fights for position on a rebound against LaCrosse-Washtucna’s Jed Zimmer. Patchen’s shot at the buzzer dropped off the rim to end the game.

Indeed there was a television camera inside, and the game was worthy of it.

In a battle between two No. 5’s, Colton’s Jake Straughan and LaCrosse-Washtucna’s Darcy Stamper, Stamper’s team cut out a late fourth quarter lead and held on to win 41-39.

“In previous years, it hasn’t been like this. We haven’t won in here in awhile,” said Stamper, a junior, who led the LaCrosse-Washtucna with 17 points. “Coach just told us to stay strong mentally.”

The Tigercats also needed to stay strong on Colton’s Straughan, a junior too, who led his team with 23 points but couldn’t hit when they needed him most. Dalton Patchen also had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats.

“That’s the first time we’ve beaten Colton since I’ve been coaching,” said Tigercats’ Coach Mike Jones, in his fourth year. “Colton’s a difficult place to play and we feel fortunate to get out of there with a win.”

In the last minute of the game, Stamper guarded Straughan, after watching him in the first quarter in matchup zone before Coach Jones moved him off of Straughan.

“Every year, it’s him,” said Stamper, of prior seasons going against Colton’s No. 5, stretching back to middle school.

Who’s got the upper hand?

“I honestly think he does,” Stamper said.

Hard target

In a night where neither team could get many shots to fall, Colton led 12-10 at halftime.

Then Stamper arrived, hitting a driving jump shot to make it 12-12 and then a driving five-footer to cut Colton’s lead to 17-15.

Straughan tried to answer with a deep three-pointer which bounced off of the back of the rim before Patchen hit an underhanded three-footer for 19-15 Colton.

Stamper then drew a blocking foul on a drive, but missed both free throws and Colton continued to build its lead.

They were up by seven when LaCrosse-Washtucna’s Justin Wargo hit a three-pointer then got a steal for a fast break two to cut the score to 22-20.

With 60 seconds left in the third quarter, Stamper drove and scored. Straughan answered right back, cutting into the lane for a high basket before the Tigercats’ Wargo made another steal and an assist to cut it to 25-24 Colton at the end of the third.

In the fourth, LaCrosse-Washtucna took a one-point lead when Stamper grabbed a rebound and dribbled the length of the floor for a lay-in.

On their following possession, the Tigercats’ Alec Fleming drove into the lane for 28-25.

Colton then quickly put the ball back in Straughan’s hands, who pulled up for an eight-footer at the side of the key, made it and was fouled.

“Merry Christmas on that one, holy cow!” called out a fan in the bleachers, questioning the referee.

Straughan made the free throw to tie it, 28-28.

Nearing five minutes left in the fourth, Patchen hit a turnaround three-footer to retake the lead for Colton at 30-28.

Lacrosse-Washtucna called a time out.

Back on the floor, the Tigercats’ Jed Zimmer scored on a putback to tie the score again before Colton answered with an assist from Dillon Frank for a lay-in from Austin Meyer.

Stamper than sent an assist to Fleming, who drove and bounced a shot off the glass to tie it again, 32-32 with 4:10 left.

The back-and-forth continued.

Colton’s Straughan hit a running four-footer before Stamper tipped in a missed Tigercats’ shot for 34-34.

Crunchtime

Stamper followed with a key rebound on Colton’s next possession and a three-pointer from the top of the key for 37-34 Tigercats with 2:42 left.

The next time up the floor, Stamper drove and missed, followed by a Straughan runner which bounced out.

Then Stamper got the ball once again and bolted into the lane to score on a cutting drive with 1:17 left. He fouled Patchen on Colton’s next possession, who made one of two free throws to drop LaCrosse-Washtucna’s lead to four.

The Tigercats then started using the clock, moving the ball around the perimeter, taking the time remaining to under a minute.

LaCrosse-Washtucna’s Zimmer then scored on a putback to put their lead at 41-35 before Straughan missed a shot and Colton called timeout with 32.9 seconds left.

Back on the floor, Straughan drove and was fouled, made both shots to put the lead back at four.

Then Colton started to foul, giving the Tigercats’ repeating inbound plays under their basket, since they still were not in the bonus.

After Straughan fouled Stamper, LaCrosse-Washtucna had its third inbound under their hoop.

The whistle blew and a miscommunication sent the ball trickling off a Tigercat player’s fingers to give the ball to Colton.

On the Colton inbound, a scramble ensued, and with Straughan laid out on his stomach near half-court, he pushed the ball back to Patchen, who grabbed it and was fouled for two shots.

With 11.4 seconds left, he made both to cut LaCrosse-Washtucna’s lead to two.

After the inbound, Colton’s Robertson fouled the Tigercats’ Fleming, who missed the free throw.

Suddenly, Colton had the ball and a chance to tie or win the game.

Straughan took it up the floor and after two passes, it was in the hands of Patchen, driving into the lane. He took the ball up and off the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded.

Patchen landed on his back and the game was over.

“We moved Stamper on defense for rebounding purposes in particular,” said LaCrosse-Washtucna Coach Jones, who also alternated who guarded Patchen throughout the night.

“I think what you saw, besides the fact we set the game back about 80 years,” said Colton coach Seth Paine, referring to the low scoring. “What you saw was two teams that mirrored each other. There was very few uncontested shots.”

The Tigercat victory improved LaCrosse-Washtucna’s record to 11-0 overall.

LaCrosse-Washtucna 53, Gar-Pal 39

The Tigercats traveled to Gar-Pal Saturday night, Jan. 5, and trailed by three points at halftime before gaining control in the second half. Stamper led the team with 17 points, including 10 in the first quarter.

Colton 62, St. John-Endicott 49

Jake Straughan had 26 points and six assists on Saturday night while Dalton Patchen added 16 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and four assists in a game which Colton trailed 21-13 in the first quarter.