Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
On their way to an unprecedented seventh straight state championship last year, it was their biggest test.
Undefeated entering the district championship game at Clarkston, the white steam billowing over the Lewiston grade, the Colton girls met Touchet and Cierra Jo McKeown.
It took state 1B Player of the Year Savannah Chadwick to keep McKeown under enough control – and two key drives by Zoe Moser in the waning minutes – for the Wildcats to escape with a four-point win.
From there, through the state final under the dome in Spokane, no one else came close.
A year later now, Colton and Touchet will again play in the Southeast 1B championship game.
McKeown is a senior, her supporting cast is a year older, and, after getting blown out the first game this year against Colton, Touchet played them close, 58-55, on Jan. 23.
Moser is a senior, the last in a line of four Moser girls to play key roles for coach Clark Vining and the Wildcats.
Tip-off is 6 p.m. Friday at Walla Walla Community College.
The winner will advance to the state sub tournament while the loser will have one last opportunity to advance, playing Saturday afternoon in the consolation game against the winner of Pomeroy and Oakesdale.
Aside from Colton, the Nighthawks are the only other county team still in contention. Oakesdale eliminated St. John/Endicott on Monday night in a thriller.
Colton 65, Pomeroy 33
Opening the district tournament with a first-round bye, Colton met Pomeroy at home Friday and led 24-2 at the end of the first quarter.
Meghan Devorak scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half.
Kendyl Druffel scored 15 points, and Rachel Meyer had 11 rebounds. Georgia Meyer added eight points as Colton (20-1) advanced to the championship game.
Kacey Halbert led Pomeroy with 13 points while Sydney Smith scored 11.
Oakesdale 60,
St. John/Endicott 58
Playing at Walla Walla Community College Monday night in an elimination game, the Nighthawks and Eagles went to the wire.
Abby Glorfield led all scorers with 26 points in the game, but her last shot, a three-point attempt to win, was deflected and fell short.
Jacey Johnson scored 19 points with 12 rebounds to lead Oakesdale. Logan Reed scored 12 points, and Lindsey Lindgren added 11, with five rebounds and five assists.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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