Bulldogs will take shot at 8-0 Crusaders

Northwest Christian Crusaders, dominators to date in the Bi-County hoop race, will bring an 8-0 league mark to the Colfax gym Friday night. The Bulldogs will host after bagging their sixth straight win Tuesday with a 54-36 non-league win over neighboring Tekoa/Oakesdale.

The Bulldogs Saturday at Davenport nipped the host Gorillas 53-52 to claim a third of the three-way league tie behind the Crusaders. Colfax, Davenport and Lind/Ritzville all have 6-3 marks.

The Bulldogs took a two-point lead into the last quarter at Davenport. They hit a lean 8 points, but Davenport also hit a dry spell. They finally came within a point, 53-52 when Gorilla Morgan Scharff dropped the second of two toss shots with 1:02 left. The score never changed after that.

“That fourth quarter was really an all-out defensive battle. I was really proud of our team for their performance,” Colfax Coach Reece Jenkin said.

James Robinson again led Colfax, this time with 22, including a pair of three pointers.

Scharff, who had trouble against the Bulldog D in the first round, climbed out of the box to lead Davenport, also with 22, including eight buckets from the field.

The edge in the scorebook for Colfax was at the toss line. They missed just two out of 11 shots. Davenport missed six toss shots, including the front end of Scharff’s final two when he had a chance to tie it up and redo the script for the end of the game.

Tuesday, Tekoa/Oakesdale’s Brandon Hovde, who had to sit out the first Colfax round with a football injury, booked a game-high 24 points at Colfax. Hovde hit 10 buckets from the field.

Drake Hinkins, who hit 34 in the first round for the Nighthawks at Oakesdale, hit just 5 Tuesday night.

Robinson again led Colfax with 16 beans, including a 6-6 mark at the toss line. In fact, the Bulldogs laced a perfect 11-11 off the toss line.

Friday, NWC will arrive after a 57-43 crunch over Reardan in the Bi-County Saturday round.

Colfax will have another home round Saturday when Almira-Coulee-Hartline, a team now battling Wilbur-Creston for the edge in the 1B loop, comes to town.

Colfax 53-Davenport 52: 10/12 15/1220/19 8/9: Caleb Bravard 2 2-4 6, Tanner Gay 3 (2-3pt) 0-0 8. Alex Teade 1 2-2 4, James Robinson 9 (2-3pt) 2-2 22, Brandon Gfeller 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Justin Berarducci 3 2-2 8, Dustin Huber 1 1-2 3. Total: 20 9-11 f-10 53. Davenport: Cody Hopkins 1 1-2 3, Joey Gunning 1 0-0 2, Chris Becker 5 (2-3pt) 0-2 9, Morgan Scharff 8 6-9 22. Total: 21 8-14 f-15 52.

Colfax 54-Tekoa/Oakesdale 36: 16/8 15/4 8/214 25/20: Caleb Bravard 2 (3pt) 2-2 7, Brandon Hoadley 2 0-0 4, Alex Teade 2 1-1 5, James Robinson 5 6-6 16, Brandon Gfeller 2 2-2 6, Justin Berarducci 2 0-0 4, Dustin Huber 6 0-0 12. Total: 21 11-11 f-18 54. Lance Lindgren 1 0-3 2, Jay Wagner 1 0-0 2, Earl Gaines 0 1-2 1, Joey Hooper 1 0-0 2, Brandon Hovde 10 (2-3pt) 2-5 24, Drake Hinkins 2 (3pt) 0-0 5. Total: 15 3-10 f-13 36.

Colfax 69-Sprague/Harrington 32: 20/4 14/14 25/9 10/5: Caleb Bravard 3 0-0 6, Will Hatley 2 (3pt) 0-0 ;5, Brandon Hoadley 1 2-2 4, Alex Teade 3 0-0 6, Kellen Morgan 1 0-0 2, James Robinson 3 0-0 6, Brandon Gfeller 5 (3-3pt) 1-4 14. Justin Berarducci 6 2-2 14. Dustin Huber 3 2-3 8. Tyler McNannay 1 0-3 2, Andrew Scholz 1 0-0 2. Total: 28 7-12 f-16 69. Sprague/Harrington Stetson Sanford 1 2-2 4, Jake Tanke 0 2-4 2, Brett Larmer 1 0-2 2, Justin Clouse 1 2-2 4, Alex Hatten 3 (3pt) 3-4 10, Nick Sperline 3 (3pt) 1-2 8, Aaron Lowman 1 0-0 2. Total: 10 20 16 f-10 32.