1B girls basketball:

Districts start Friday; Pomeroy, Oakesdale, Colton vy for two spots

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Feb 13, 20200

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Oakesdale junior LouEllen Reed takes a shot between Gar/Pal defenders.

District playoffs begin for Southeast 1B girls basketball this weekend, for a league with three top contenders, one of which has won state 10 of the last 11 years. This year, Colton is in a fight to get out of districts, behind Pomeroy and Oakesdale.

Pomeroy beat Colton twice in the regular season while Colton split with Oakesdale. Oakesdale split with Pomeroy.

By the end of Saturday, Feb. 22, in Walla Walla, only two teams will advance.

It all starts Friday night, at home gyms, with no. 1-seed Pomeroy to play no. 4 Garfield/Palouse and, at Oakesdale, the no. 2-seed Nighthawks against no. 3 Colton.

The winners meet for the championship in Walla Walla's Dietrich Dome Feb. 21. The losers from this Friday will meet earlier the same day for another chance in the double-elimination tournament.

"It's gonna be a dogfight," said Oakesdale Coach Heidi Perry. "One game at a time. Really one possession at a time."

Game time Friday for Oakesdale-Colton is 6 p.m.

Oakesdale 49

St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse 31

At home for senior night Feb. 7 to honor Lizzy Perry, Lauryn Rawls, Kyla Hansen and Julie Baljo – who returned after two weeks from a suspected cracked rib and strep throat – the Nighthawks totaled 19 steals while sophomore guard Bree Rawls led with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jessie Reed added 11 points.

Pomeroy 47

Garfield/Palouse 29

Playing at Pomeroy, Kenzi Pedersen led the Vikings Feb. 7 with 15 points in the loss. Maddy Dixon led Pomeroy with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Colton 64

Touchet 39

Junior Rylee Vining scored 24 points to lead the Wildcats to a league win over Touchet. Maggie Mayer added 21 points on senior night for Taylor Thomas and Megan Kay.

Oakesdale 37

Garfield/Palouse 15

"Saturday at Gar/Pal, it was pretty ugly," said Oakesdale Coach Perry. "Our offense was ugly."

Lizzy Perry played just the first quarter, Feb. 8, out with a quad muscle injury, while freshman Marilla Hockett ran the point. LouEllen Reed had nine points and 14 rebounds in the game while Lauryn Rawls got 10 rebounds. Oakesdale finished the season 14-5 overall, 8-2 league.