Oakesdale boys and girls advance to state tournament

OAKESDALE - Oakesdale will be all over the 1B boys basketball state tournament results, as both the boys and girls basketball teams have qualified for the tournament.

The Nighthawk girls team took first in their district match with a decisive 35-30 victory over Sunnyside Christian.

Both teams fought hard on the defensive end to limit scoring chances as both Oakesdale and Sunnyside Christian scored less than 40 points in the game.

Oakesdale and Sunnyside Christian were both ranked in the top-10 in RPI standings heading into the game, based off the WIAA rankings.

With the win, the Nighthawks secured their seed in the state tournament.

The Nighthawks team and fans were all wearing shirts pregame that said "Play for Sam." The shirts were in recognition of Senior guard Samantha Holling, who suffered a knee injury in the previous round of the district playoffs, and will miss all of the state tournament games.

Looking for leaders to step up, Lucy Hockett and Payton Davis took charge for Oakesdale. Hockett was excellent from the point-guard position, and Davis found ways to score and lead the Nighthawks on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

For the Nighthawk girls, their first game in the state tournament will be played Saturday, Feb 24. Oakesdale are ranked as the six-seed, they will take on the third-ranked Waterville-Mansfield. The game will take place at Wenatchee High School, with tip-off set for 4 p.m.

A victory Saturday, Feb. 24, will see Oakesdale play in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, Feb. 29, at a location yet to be finalized.

A loss Saturday, Feb. 24, will put Oakesdale in a loser-out match on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 3:45 p.m. at a site yet to be determined.

Oakesdale Boys:

The Nighthawk boys took on the DeSales Irish on Friday, Feb. 16, following the Oakesdale girls game.

Oakesdale was at a disadvantage from the start, as the Irish came out hot in the beginning of the game, forcing the Nighthawks to exert energy on the defensive end.

In the end, Oakesdale would fall 72-42, however, they still qualify for the state tournament.

Oakesdale would take a quick timeout in the first quarter before trailing 18-10 after one. Both Logan Brown and Emeric Anderson had four points for Oakesdale in the quarter.

During the second quarter, the Nighthawks scored nine points, with Ryker Reed scoring four. Oakesdale would head into the locker room down 33-19.

The Nighthawks had a 12-point third quarter, with Anderson scoring eight points as a positive in the game. They would give up 24 points to put the game out of hand.

Anderson would lead all scorers for Oakesdale with 18 points. Brown had six points, and Reed finished with seven.

Oakesdale will play their first-round state tournament match on Friday, Feb. 23. Oakesdale is entering the tournament as the 12 seed, and will take on the winner of the game between Liberty Christian and Sound Christian Academy. The Nighthawk game will take place at Central Valley High School, tipping off at 8 p.m. A victory will see Oakesdale play on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at a site yet to be finalized. A loss Friday, Feb. 23 will see Oakesdale's season come to an end.