Cheney Has Winning Hand

Border League

Four of a kind by Border League boys basketball leader Cheney proved a difficult hand to beat, and the Blackhawks pulled away late for a 77-60 victory over West Valley.

The quartet of James Kiger, Paul Malisani, Chris Bond and point guard Pat Stiffler scored all but five points for Cheney (10-2, 7-1).

Much of it came inside, where the Blackhawks’ size and experience wore on the Eagles. Kiger, with a game-high 22 points; Malisani, who scored 19; and sophomore Bond, with 18, all stand 6-foot-3 or taller.

When the smaller Eagles worked to take away the inside game, Stiffler torched them for 15. His baskets seemed to come at particularly critical times.

“When they threw the ball over the top because they are so big,” said Eagles coach Joe Fiest, “we had to exert so much energy on defense at times we just wore out.”

WV (6-6, 4-4) spread the court to create open space and took a four-point lead into the second quarter. Stiffler hit two 3-point baskets with less than 5 minutes remaining for a lead the Blackhawks never surrendered.

It grew to as many as 19 points, 51-32 midway through the third quarter, before WV mounted a rally.

Three-point shooting by Eric Deno and Brad Groh and a couple inside baskets by Chris Gregg brought the Eagles back to within seven points.

Cheney’s free-throw shooting - at one-point the Blackhawks were 15 for 16 in the second half - kept WV at bay.

“We’re not used to getting into the 70s,” said Cheney coach Denny Humphrey. “We haven’t been an offensive team.”

It was necessary against the Eagles, who got 20 points from Groh before he fouled out with 3 minutes remaining.

WV post player Ryan Spivey scored 15, Gregg 12 and Deno 11.

“It’s always a game when we play WV,” said Humphrey.

“They shoot it.”

Cheney 77, West Valley 60

West Valley 9 16 18 17 - 60

Cheney 12 25 21 19 - 77

WEST VALLEY - Sly 0, Hilsabeck 0, Deno 11, Browning 2, Groh 20, Gregg 12, Spivey 15, Lybarger, Sorenson 0.

CHENEY - Stiffler 15, Eggart 0, Oyolokor 3, Donnelly 0, Ervin 0, Caskey 0, Malisani 18, Kiger 22, Bond 19.

Lewiston 58, Lake City 42

The Bengals (11-3, 8-2) remained one-half game behind Cheney with a victory at home over the Timberwolves.

Trailing 12-4, the host team forced five straight turnovers and went on a 27-10 first-half run to take command.

Steve Johnson led three Lewiston double-figures scorers with 20. Chad Cheeley scored 14 for Lake City.

Lake City 17 5 8 12 - 42

Lewiston 12 19 10 17 - 58

LAKE CITY - Hern 9, Bramlet 3, Cheeley 14, Reiswig 0, Lenz 0, Barlow 0, Schuh 9, Nipp 5, Rod 0, Stroh 0, Everson 0, Thiringer 2.

LEWISTON - Egland 15, Eck 16, Holder 2, Clamper 2, Reineke 3, Johnson 20.

Border girls

Cheney 52, West Valley 40

WV put a scare into the host and league runner-up Blackhawks before Anna Getz calmed their fears.

The Eagles (6-6, 4-4) rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to trail just 32-30 late in the third quarter.

Getz hit a 3-point shot from the right baseline and scored a short jumper in the last minute of the period.

She then hit the first basket of the fourth quarter to help Cheney (9-3, 7-1) get away.

The Blackhawk senior scored nine fourth-quarter points to finish off a 23-point evening.

“Anna made some big shots for us,” said Cheney coach Marty Jessett. “We took her off point and moved her around to get her places to shoot.”

Cheney jumped to leads of 9-2 and 13-4 in the first quarter. The score was 28-12, with Kara Weitman scoring 10 points and Getz nine, before WV closed to within 12 at intermission.

Gabby McClintock, who scored 17 points, and freshman Shannon Groh fueled WV’s third-quarter rally.

“Our plan was to pressure them, but they did a nice job of attacking,” said Jessett.

That left it up to Getz to come through in the clutch.

West Valley 9 7 14 10 - 40

Cheney 16 12 9 15 - 52

WEST VALLEY - Hilsabeck 0, Groh 5, McClintock 17, Huffman 4, Holstrom 6, Pedey 0, Parvey 8, Vermeers 0.

CHENEY - Conrath 2, Weitman 12, Getz 23, Urdahl 6, Birchler 2, Van Matre 4, Boline 0, Krogh 3.

Lake City 50, Lewiston 45

The Timberwolves (15-0, 11-0) remained undefeated, but they weathered a second-half comeback by the Bengals to do so.

Lake City led 28-13 at the half before the inspired Bengals (6-9, 6-5) came back behind the scoring of Kim Wegner (15 points) and Lorien Albright (11).

Lake City 14 14 8 14 - 50

Lewiston 9 4 11 21 - 45

LAKE CITY - Hayes 0, Hawn 4, Kendrick 4, Bro 2, Herbert 16, McCabe 10, Dodge 7, Asher 5, Stern 2.

LEWISTON - Gill 3, Zabel 0, Sharnhorst 1, Sullivan 2, Albright 11, Roberts 1, Boling 3, Wegner 15, Bausch 1, Ostheller 2,Presnell 5.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo