6th Annual
North Central District "A"
Boys Basketball Tournament
1963

Champ

ionship

Cash

mere

Score

: 46-45 (OT)

***************************************************************************

Coulee Dam 58, Tonasket 49
Game 1. (Loser out)
At Chelan, WA

Urged on by a large following of enthusiastic fans, Tonasket's young, battling Tigers kept the pressure on Coulee Dam's exciting team in the preliminary.  Tonasket never lead, but the Tigers frequently overcame large deficits to apply the heat.
Not until the marvelous Dean Skorheim scored on a fast-break play from an assist from Keith Redthunder, with five minutes to play did it appear the Beavers might be out of danger.  That gave them a 50-35 lead, but still they could not relax against Martin Anzelini's unyielding Tigers.
The Beavers attacked the hustling Tiger defense with a devastating outside shooting game and a furious fast break.  Although Wally Loe's club had countless fast-break opportunities, it could not make them pay off consistently.
The scoring of Skorheim and Redthunder boosted Coulee Dam into an 18-10 lead midway through the second quarter.  Then Tonasket launched the second of its many comeback rallies to cut the margin to 24-22 by halftime.  The outside shooting of Larry Visser (he made Tonasket's first three baskets) and Larry Jungblom and the inside work of tall Jack Larrabee kept Tonasket in contention.
Skorheim and burly Dale Nelson, the only Coulee Dam starter who measures over six feet, started working the boards furiously to put Coulee Dam in control again in the third quarter.  The second half was little more than three minutes old when the Beavers boasted a 10-point lead.  Again Tonasket boomed back to get within four points, but the Tigers could get no closer.

***************************************************************************

Cashmere 46, Omak 45 (OT)
Game 2. (Championship, winner to state)
At Chelan, WA

The unranked, unrecognized and underestimated "Ayes" of North Central Washington basketball put on a show here Friday night that's almost unparalleled.
The basketball may not be the greatest ever, but the type of show the two Class A teams give their avid follower is as exciting as you'll find anywhere. And the Ayes had many followers at the district tournament Friday, a whole house-full in fact, a house-full who yelled themselves hoarse.
An underdog (11-11) Cashmere team captured the district championship and a berth to the state tournament by beating Omak, 46-45, in an overtime heart-stopper.
The lead changed ownership 18 times and the score was tied on eight occasions in this championship struggle. Never were Omak and Cashmere separated by more that five points.
Gene Hoon's Pioneers, putting together their best periodic effort, moved out to the night's biggest lead of five points, 29-24 in the opening moments of the second half. But they couldn't sustain it, and by the close of the third period Cashmere had pulled into a 29-29 tie.
With 1:11 to play, the Bulldogs held a four-point lead and it appeared they had clinched the Tacoma trip.  But the Pioneers weren't finished.  Tom Gibbons scored on a beautiful base-line jumper at the :56 second mark and burly Vincent Smith scored on a tip-in with six seconds to play to tie the game.
Both teams made their shots count in the overtime session.  The industrious Gibbons gave Omak a 43-41 lead by hitting from the corner.  Junior Dean Henry, playing the greatest game of his life for Cashmere, tied it with 1:42 to play. Omak's Bob Rusk broke that deadlock on an assist from Vaughn Gooch.  A series of jump balls followed.  Sandwiched in a was a free throw by Cashmere's Jerry Van Winkle that trimmed the margin to 45-44.
Van Winkle had another free throw opportunity with just nine hectic seconds remaining.  The ball bounced off the front of the rim, back into the arms of Van Winkle and the Cashmere junior put it up for two points and the clincher at the seven second mark.  Omak did not get another opportunity.

***************************************************************************

Coulee Dam 56, Omak 49
Game 3. (Winner to state, loser out)
At Chelan, WA

Hopelessly trailing by nine points, Coulee Dam's speedy Beavers uncorked and incredible rally in the last three and a half minutes to overcome Omak's Pioneers, 56-49, and earn second place in the North Central District A boys basketball tournament here Saturday evening.
The dramatic victory gave Wally Loe's Beavers a berth in the State Class A basketball tournament, opening Wednesday at Tacoma's University of Puget Sound.  It was remarkable feat for Coulee Dam, which just entered the "A" ranks this season.  Two years ago they played in the State B tourney.
With fabulous Dean Skorkeim leading the way, the Beavers rallied for 26 points in the last quarter.  Not until one and a half minutes before the end did the Beavers catch up. Omak could not muster a point in the final 90 seconds while Coulee Dam was pulling safely away.
This was the season's "rubber match" between the Beavers and Pioneers.  They had split the two Caribou Trail League meetings.  Loe's exciting Beavers will take a 14-6 won-lost record into the state tournament.
The Pioneers, getting valuable points from all five starters, played a steady game through the first three quarters to lead by narrow margins of two, three and five points at the stops.  The had opened a nine-point bulge by midway in the fourth quarter. Then Skorkeim took command.
Skorheim, Dale Nelson and Keith Redthunder all scored eight points apiece in the final period.  For the game, all three scored in double figures, topped by demon Dean's 18 points.
Vaughn Gooch tallied 14, while Vincent Smith and Dave Steiner had 10 apiece for Omak.