Colfax girls run three wins in quest for top league ticket

Gwynn Razzo of Tekoa/Rosalia gets off a shot with Rachel Brown of the Bulldogs attempting a block.

Colfax girls topped Liberty 61-48 Tuesday on the home court to get closer to wrapping up another undefeated string in the NE league’s south side. The big home win over Liberty followed wins Friday at Reardan and Saturday at home against the Tekoa/Rosalia Timberwolves.

Colfax, which rolled through the south side of the league undefeated in the first round will have a lock on a number-one slot going into the league playoffs if they finish out with two more league wins.

They will host Asotin Friday night and Lind/Ritzville/Sprague Saturday night in the last two rounds.

The NE playoffs start with the first and second place teams from each side of the league sitting out the first round. The top two from each side then play the winners of the first round games.

The playoff show ends with three NE teams collecting tickets to the state finals.

Senior Greta Geier led Colfax Tuesday against the Lancers with 20 points, and Carmen Gfeller, who rated the top attention from the Lancers’ defense, finished with 18 points. Geier hit five three-point shots against the Lancers.

Liberty sophomore Maisie Burnham led all scorers with 23 points.

Piper Cai, who matched up with Burnham on defense, hit eight for the Bulldogs and Abbie Miller hit seven.

The Bulldogs have tuned up a press defense and wrangled 18 turnover from the Liberty offense.

Saturday night on the home boards, the Bulldogs stacked a 21-5 lead over the Timberwolves in the first quarter on the way to 55-34 win.

Gfeller and Cai each hit 16 to top Colfax in a game which saw a lot of play by the reserves. The Timberwolves clipped the Bulldogs 10-9 in the last quarter.

Senior Jillian Bruce, who hit two threebies, led the visitors with 13 points.

Friday in the last league game on the road, Colfax again stacked a big lead in the first quarter, 25-8, and moved it to 40-19 at the half on the way to a 70-34 crunch over the hosts.

Gfeller hit 20 at Reardan in another game which saw the Bulldog reserves stack up game times. Cai pulled down 10 rebounds for Colfax and scored 13. Abbie Miller plunked three three-point shot for Colfax.

Colfax 70-Reardan 34: 25/8 15/11 12/7 18/16: Skylre Sakamoto-Howell 2 (2-3pt) 0-0 6, Piper Cai 5 (3pt) 2-2 13, Abbie Miller 4 (3 3pt) 11, Taylre Sakamoto-Howell 1 2-5 4, Josie Riebold 1 1-2 3, Carmen Gfeller 8 (3 pt) 3-3 20, Greta Geier 2 3-4 7, Kaitlyn Cornish 1 0-0 2, Kierstyn York 2 0-0 4. Total 26 11-16 f-10 70. Reardan Jessie Williams 2 (both 3pt) 2-2 8, Whitney Bjornberg 1 0-0 2, Chloe Pimley 0 1-2 1, Kim Dewey 3 (3pt) 2-2 9, Sammie Merriott 2 0-0 4, Samantha Hamilton 3 0-0 6, Madison Morris 1 0-0 2, Katherine Preuschoff 1 0-2 2, Total: 13 5-8 f-12 34.

Colfax 55-Tekoa/Rosalia 34: 21/5 8/13 16/7 10/9: S. Sakamoto-Howell 2 (2 3pt) 0-2 6, Shyah Antoine 1 0-0 2, T. Sakamoto-Howell 0 1-2 1, Gfeller 6 (3 3pt) 1-2 16, Geier 1 0-0 2, Rachel Brown 2 0-0 4 . Total 21 3-8 f-8 55. Tekoa/Rosalia: Kylee Jenneskens 1 0-0 2, Elise Williams 1 0-0 2, Jillian Bruce 5 (2 3pt) 1-2 13, Logan Demsey 2 1-2 5, Gwyn Razzo 3 0-0 6, Ali Kalmes 3 0-0 6. Total 15 2-4 f-12 34.

Colfax 61-Liberty 48: 17/16 15/12 9/10 20/10:S. Sakamoto-Howell 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Antoine 0 1-2 1, Cai 3 2-2 8, Miller 3 (3pt) 0-0 7, T. Sakamoto-Howell 1 2-2 4, Gfeller 7 2-2 18. Total 21 10-12 f-16 61. Liberty Kendyl Fletcher 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Delaney Goodwin 3 (2 3pt) 1-2 9, Maisie Burnham 8 (3 pt) 6-10 23, Aleena Cook 5 3-4 13. Total 17 10-16 f-17 48.