Locally: Washington State men’s basketball games at Arena folded into fundraiser
Washington State’s nonconference men’s basketball games in the Spokane Arena next month against South Dakota State and Boise State have been made into a fundraiser, thanks to the efforts of the Spokane Chiefs, Spokane Indians, Brett Sports and Numerica Credit Union.
The neutral-site games on Dec. 11 at noon against South Dakota State and Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. against Boise State are now the Numerica Hooptown USA Holiday Series with a portion of ticket sales going to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest and Spokane Hoopfest Association, thanks to title sponsor Numerica Credit Union.
Tickets for the games are on sale and can be purchased online at ticketswest.com.
“These games provide a great opportunity to raise money for two nonprofit organizations that make an impact for youth in our community,” Chiefs president Mark Miles is quoted in the release. “We’re thrilled to team up with Numerica to bring more family-friendly, affordable entertainment to our city.”
College scene
Roshaun Johnson‘s six rushing touchdowns in Idaho’s 42-24 win over Southern Utah on Nov. 6 earned the Vandals’ redshirt junior Big Sky Conference football offensive player of the week.
It was the first weekly award for Johnson, who celebrated by purchasing doughnuts for the offensive linemen. His 174 yards were a career high, the six TDs were a school record and one short of tying the Big Sky record, and were the most by any FCS or FBS player this season.
• For the third time this season, Washington State junior middle Magda Jehlarova was named Pac-12 volleyball defensive player of the week on Nov. 8 after leading a Cougars weekend sweep of Arizona and Arizona State. It was the eighth weekly award of her career, the fifth for defense.
Jehlarova had a hand in seven of the Cougars’ nine blocks as they held Arizona to .096 hitting. Two days later, as WSU overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Sun Devils in five sets, Jehlarova had nine blocks for the fourth time this season and moved her career blocks total to 381 and inside the school’s top 10, and her solo blocks to 74, fourth all time.
• North Idaho College freshman setter Abigail Neff (Lakeland of Rathdrum) and sophomore Clair Hodge picked up Week 11 volleyball player of the week honors from the Northwest Athletic Conference.
Neff earned her second award of the season after averaging 13 assists per set – 78 in all – as the Cardinals swept first-place Columbia Basin and defeated Walla Walla to remain unbeaten against East Region opponents. She added 19 digs and one block assist. Hodge had 26 digs – 8.67 per set – and a service ace in the matches.
• Carroll College senior guard Christine Denny from Liberty HS was the Frontier Conference women’s basketball player of the week after she led the seventh-ranked Saints to two victories.
She averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 14 of 19 (73%) from the field, including 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. She was 4 of 4 on free throws.
• A couple of area athletes from North Idaho received Cascade Collegiate Conference player of the week honors from the week of Nov. 8-14.
CCC men’s cross country champion Logan Hunt, a College of Idaho sophomore from Timberlake of Spirit Lake, was POW for his 11-second victory that led the Yotes to the team title. He broke 25 minutes for 8,000 meters, clocking 24 minutes, 52 seconds.
Sara Muehlhausen, a Lewis-Clark State junior forward from Lake City HS, was the women’s basketball recipient after a strong opening game that included a team-leading 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocked shots and 7-of-11 shooting in an 81-77 win over Whitman.
• Whitworth, reigning co-champions with Linfield, was picked to finish second by a point to the Wildcats in the Northwest Conference men’s basketball coaches preseason poll while the Pirates women were tabbed fourth.
The men return seniors Liam Fitzgerald, a forward, guard Garrett Paxton, a pair of 43% 3-point shooters, and forward Miguel Lopez.
Leading the women will be senior guard Quincy McDeid (North Central), and All-NWC honorable mention and the Pirates’ leading scorer (14.4); senior guard Talia Brandner, who hit 40.9% of her 3-pointers; and senior forward Megan Dorney, who was limited by injury but shot 60% from the field.
•North Idaho College had the East Region men’s and women’s coaches of the year and the women’s most valuable player when the NWAC passed out 2021 region soccer honors.
Ken Thompson, whose Cardinals finished in a three-way tie for second in the East but lost 5-1 to Whatcom in the first-round of the NWAC tournament, was the men’s coach of the year. Women’s honors went to Kellsi Parson, whose Cardinals were second in the region and lost 1-0 to Highline in the quarterfinals. NIC freshman forward Emily Stuart was the East MVP.
NIC men All-East: Braden Bennett, fr., F; Andrew Ferreira (Post Falls), fr., D; Stuart Heringer, fr., GK.
Women’s All East: NIC: Stuart; Addison McCulloch, fr., F; Lauren Johnson (Clarkston), fr., MF; Sidney Lance, fr., D; Hailee Mize, so., GK. CC Spokane: Brooke Snyder, fr., MF; Sydnee Suarez, so., D.
• A couple of College of Idaho midfielders from Lake City HS, Maddie Smith, a sophomore, and Chloe Teets, a junior, received honorable mention on the Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s soccer all-conference team. Smith had a goal and two assists in 18 matches and Teets a goal and an assist in 17.
• For a second consecutive season, Washington State fifth-year senior Elyse Bennett has been named to the 2021 Academic All-District Women’s Soccer Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. She is a first-team selection with a 3.85 GPA.
• Travis Swallow, a Seattle Pacific senior from Lake City HS with a 3.94 GPA, was named first-team Division II Academic All-District 8 in men’s soccer for a third straight season .
Letters of intent
Gonzaga baseball: Transfer: Brock Bozett, SS, Ferris/CC Spokane, will be a sophomore.