Colfax-Reardan round 4 will be for NE state ticket

Kayla Johnson of the Bulldog goes between NWC defenders for another two points in the semi-final win at Mt. Spokane Friday.

Colfax and Reardan girls will mix it up for the fourth time this year when they collide tonight at Mt. Spokane for the first NE state ticket. The two clubs will collide after taking strong wins Saturday in the NE semi-final round.

Colfax defeated Northwest Christian 52-32, and Reardan defeated Lind/Ritzville 61-37 in the all Bi-County semi-finals.

Tonight’s NE title match will mark the third time Colfax and Reardan have played at a junction point in the season. Colfax stopped Reardan here to take the league race and defeated them again in the last round of the Bi-County tournament.

“They are a fast, aggressive team that likes to attack the basket. They also have kids who can shoot threes,” Bulldog Coach Corey Baerlocher said.

The Bulldogs are aiming for their second straight entry into the state 2B show which will be next week in the Spokane Arena. They took the title last year, the first for Colfax in the 2B division.

Baerlocher said ball possession and a balanced scoring run led to the 20-point win over NWC in the semi round last Friday night at Mt. Spokane.

Colfax had just 12 turnovers against the Crusaders and out-boarded the green club 52-27. Kayleigh Maltone pulled down 12 boards, and Kayla Johnson booked eight boards, five steals and four assists. Kayla Johnson also led Colfax scoring with 13.

“When you take care of the ball like that, you’re going to have a lot more chances to put up points, and that’s what happened,” Baerlocher said.

He added Colfax also had solid performances from players who came off the bench and kept up the pressure on the Crusaders.

“There just really wasn’t any letdown,” he added.

Kelsey Moos, who hit 26 in the Reardan-LR semi, will get a lot of attention from the Bulldog defense tonight. Moos, who was pretty well shut down in the league battle at Colfax, broke out for 23 against the Bulldogs in the title game two weeks ago at Reardan.

Northwest Christian and Lind/Ritzville Saturday eliminated St. George’s and Liberty. Those two clubs will play a consolation final tonight, and the winner will go up against the loser of tonight’s title tame for second and last NE ticket to state.

Colfax 52-Northwest Christian 32: 13/6 12/7 17/9 10/10: Brooke Webber 1 0-0 2, Rachel Johnson 4 2-4 8, Kayla Johnson 6 (3pt) 0-0 13, Shaina Simonson 1 2-2 4, Brittney Burke 2 0-0 4, Emily Shaw 2 1-3 5, Kayleigh Maltone 3 3-6 9, Misty Shelton 1 0-0 2, Amelie Bruya 1 (3pt) 0-0 3. Total: 21 8-17 f-30 52. NWC: Colbi Neal 3 3-6 9, Jessica Dahm 2 1-2 5, Lisa Vandenburg 1 1-3 3, Danne Dami 5 (2-3pt) 2-2 14, Ashley Graham 0 1-2 1. Total: 11 8-15 f-14 32.