University puts clamps on LC; CV, G-Prep girls come up short

On a day when University cemented its position as the best girls basketball team on the east side of the state, Gonzaga Prep came up short – literally.

The Pups (21-5), who played no one taller than 5-foot-10, lost a winner-to-state game, 49-41, Saturday night at the ConAgra Foods/Lamb Weston 4A Eastern Regional to an Eisenhower team that featured 6-3 Cassie Robbins inside.

“We had trouble just cutting through the key because of their height,” Gonzaga Prep coach Mike Arte said. “And when we did get the ball in there, we had trouble getting good looks, because they were just too tall and long.”

U-Hi (22-3) won the regional title at Kennewick’s Toyota Center, 45-29 over Lewis and Clark behind a stifling defense and Angie Bjorklund’s 18 points, earning her the regional’s MVP award. The Titans will be a No. 1 seed in next week’s WIAA State 4A tournament in Tacoma. Seedings are announced today at 3 p.m.

University 45, Lewis and Clark 29: Familiarity, in this case, breeds nothing but respect. And a defensive battle.

The Titans won their second consecutive regional crown, but shot just 39 percent. The Tigers (22-4) were worse, 13 of 48 for 27 percent, including 1 of 9 from beyond the arc.

“I thought we played very well defensively, and did a real good job on Angie,” LC coach Jim Redmon said. “Offensively, we just got too hesitant. We have to be more confident if want to have success (at state).”

It took Bjorklund 17 shots – she hit seven, including three 3-pointers – to score her game-high total. But it made little difference because she and her teammates held the Tigers to five points in two quarters.

They threw a shutout for the first 4 minutes of the game, and led 8-0. The closest LC got after that was four, on Heather Bowman’s layup early in the third, part of her team-high 12 points.

From there a 15-4 U-Hi run put it away and gave the Titans a 3-0 record this year versus their friendly league rival.

“It’s discouraging having to play someone so often,” U-Hi coach Mark Stinson said. “We know each other so well, they often turn into ugly games, which is hard for the fans to watch. And we respect them so much, a respect we know is mutual.”

But that doesn’t mean they don’t battle.

“We just have to be tough against them,” said senior Kara Crisp, who hit two 3-pointers, including one that ended LC’s only run, an 11-0 spurt that straddled halftime. “Personally, I have to keep my person in front of me and not let them get to the basket. Then I need to keep them off the boards.”

Crisp’s blocking out helped Bjorklund and Dara Zack combine for 20 rebounds.

“We came in here wanting to focus on defense and rebounding,” Zack said. “Our goal coming in was to hold them to 40. Holding them to 29 is pretty nice.”

Eisenhower 48, Gonzaga Prep 41: Robbins hit just 3 of 10 shots and scored six points. But she blocked six shots in Ike’s 3-2 zone, a wrinkle the Cadets (25-1) used in the second half. The Pups, who were trying to qualify for state for the first time since 1997, scored just 18 points in the second half.

“That really bothered us,” Arte said. “We had trouble penetrating against the girls up front.”

And when 5-3 point guard Corrina O’Brien did penetrate, she was met by Robbins. O’Brien was just 3 of 15 from the floor, though she led the Pups with 12 points.

Another victim of Ike’s height was Tara Cronin. The 5-10 center only could get five shots off, finished with a season-low four points. She did grab a game-high 10 rebounds.

Gonzaga Prep 61, Central Valley 56: O’Brien’s 3-pointer broke a tie at 51 and propelled the Pups into the winner-to-state game in the morning. It was the only 3-point shot O’Brien took en route to 15 points. Sarah Jennings matched O’Brien’s total, while Cronin led the Pups with 18 points.

The Bears ended the season at 15-11, and ended the career of three seniors.

Heidi Heintz, who finished with a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds, is headed to USF in the fall. Salena Leavitt added 14.