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Quincy 58, Tonasket 45
Game 9. (Loser out)
At Chelan, WA

Ruben Garcia's hot shooting send Quincy rolling toward victory and Ty Phelps' steady hands helped the Jackrabbits grasp the win over Tonasket.
Garcia fired in 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half as Quincy jumped to a 32-25 halftime lead. Phelps, moved from the post to guard against the Tonasket press, handled the ball flawlessly and delivered 10 points as well.
Phelps "did exactly what I asked him to do," said Quincy coach Jack Peasley.
Quincy, playing without Brad Sauber (sprained ankle), had plenty of other heros, too. John Toevs scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half to keep the Jackrabbits in control, and Kelly Barnett fronted the Tigers' 6-7 Scott Rise into a frustrating two-point performance. Barnett also grabbed 14 rebounds.
Jon Maple led Tonasket, which ended its season 9-14, with 10 points, and Stacy Gagne added nine points off the bench.

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Cashmere 64, Lake Roosevelt 50
Game 10. (Loser out)
At Chelan, WA

Cashmere's front line was dominant in the Bulldogs' victory over Lake Roosevelt.
Cashmere built a 57-29 board advantage and kept Lake Roosevelt's inside offense in check to establish a big lead then turned back a late Raider rally with a defensive switch.
After Cashmere cruised to a 52-36 lead at the three-quarters mark, Lake Roosevelt found the seams in the Bulldog defense and closed to 55-48. But Cashmere switched to a man-to-man defense and held Lake Roosevelt to 1-for-12 shooting the rest of the way.
Cashmere had built the lead on its rebounding strength and inside scoring. Mark Milner, a 6-2 junior, showed the way with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Brian Paine, a 6-10 senior nailed 20 points and 12 rebounds and Eric Brown, a 6-4 senior, came off the bench to contribute 15 rebounds and eight points.
"I'm real happy with the way the front line played," said Cashmere coach Steve Biehn. Milner "just made the baskets when we needed them."
The Bulldogs played without starters Mike Haney (illness) and Craig Green. Eric Dalbeck started and handled the ball well against the Raiders' pressure.
Lake Roosevelt, which ends its season 11-11 was led by Mike Schilling's 11 points and 10 from Ken Patrick. Schilling averaged nearly 17 points per game during the regular season.
"It's tough on him (to score) against our front line," said Biehn.

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Cashmere 74, Quincy 48
Game 11. (Loser out)
At Eastmont, WA

It was the Brian Paine show as Cashmere rolled past Quincy in a North Central District "A" boys basketball survival game here Friday night.
The star of the show connected on his first five shots of the game as the Bulldogs busted out to a 20-2 first-quarter lead. The 6-10 standout finished the first-half with 21 of his game-high 31 points.
"Brian Paine came to play basketball tonight," said Quincy coach Jack Peasley, whose Jackrabbits lost for the fourth time this season to Cashmere. "That made a heck of a difference. He's just too big."
Cashmere coach Steve Biehn had equal praise for his big guy and the big guy's designated feeder, guard Mike Haney. It was Haney who handed out three quick assists in the first quarter and also shined at the defensive end, blocking three Quincy shots in the opening minutes.
"(Haney) certainly set the tone for our defense," said Biehn. "He's been setting the tone for our offense all year so that's good to see."
As for Paine, the coach said, "He's getting a lot better at getting into position and the other players are doing a better job of getting the ball to him."
Quincy, down 33-11 at the intermission, made an inspired effort at the closing the huge gap at the outset of the second half. Coming out in a full-court man-to-man press, the Jacks scored the first seven points of the half.
But Haney hit three straight shots during a 10-3 Cashmere run and the Jacks got no closer than 16 the rest of the way.
"Offensively, we played with tremendous poise all game," said Biehn. "That Quincy press gave us a little trouble. But we adjusted."
Peasley said he wanted to press more in the first half, but "when you only make five shots in the half then you only get to press five times."
The young Jackrabbits, Peasley admitted, also came out "very tight" at the start.
Quincy scoring leaders Ruben Garcia and Kelly Barnett both had their troubles. Garcia missed his first eight shots and Barnett got into early foul trouble. Garcia wound up gunning in 17 second half points to finish with a team-high total of 20, but Barnett, a 6-4 post, fouled out early in the fourth period with two points, two steals and no rebounds.
Cashmere, which shot 52 percent from the field, relied on Paine for most of its offense. Paine drilled 10-of-16 shots from the floor, 1-for-1 on slam dunks, canned 11-of-12 foul shots, including two technical foul freebies early in the fourth period. He also had nine rebounds and two blocks.
Mark Milner had an outstanding game for the Bulldogs, contributing 13 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Haney was another all-court threat, collecting eight points, nine rebounds, three blocks and five assists.
Eric Brown, who replaced Pete Phillips in the starting lineup, chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
"I don't believe in a set lineup," said Biehn, who has juggled his starting five several times this season. "We're awful close (to a set lineup). Right now it's down to Eric Dalbeck and Phillips. They each do different things well."
Quincy, which finished its inaugural season under Peasley with an 8-15 record, shot just 29 percent against the Cashmere defenses. The Jacks connected on just 18-of-63 field goal attempts.
After Garcia, Jamie Hunt was the next highest point producer with nine. Garcia got his 20 points on 8-of-26 shooting, mostly from long range.
Garcia was also the Jacks' most consistent force on the boards, collecting nine rebounds. But Quincy was no match as a team, getting out-rebounded by the Bulldogs 44-26.

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Ephrata 78, Oroville 45
Game 12. (Championship, winner to state)
At Eastmont High School

"They're just a darn good ballclub. Period. Amen."
That was Oroville coach Allen Jefferson on Ephrata. Jefferson's Hornets had just been demolished by the awesome Tigers in Friday's North Central District "A" boys basketball championship game at jam-packed Eastmont High School gym.
And even though he was smiling after he said it, there's a ring of truth to what Ephrata coach Marty O'Brien had to say.
"Sure, we're 23-0," he said. What are we going to do? If we don't win it all they're going to say 'You're all screwed up.'"
Ephrata will have a chance to prove its worth and "win it all" at the State "A" tournament next week. The Tigers earned the district's number one berth to state with their first-ever District title victory.
O'Brien downplayed his team's perfect record, saying the wins came mostly against Caribou Trail schools with real basketball tradition; where all they do is play basketball."
Jefferson said he preferred getting blown out in the title game compared to two years ago at District when his Hornets lost an overtime heart-breaker to Cashmere in the championship then lost out on a trip to State by losing to Ephrata he next night.
"We're not devastated," said Jefferson. "We got beat by a very good basketball team. It was fun being (in the championship)... Now we know we have to come back. Like we've said all along, it's nice to cut the nets but our goal is to smell the aroma in Tacoma."
How good is Ephrata? Oroville coach Allan Jefferson believes the Tigers are so good they've "got more chromosomes than the rest of us."
Well, on one was on hand at the Eastmont gym Friday night to conduct a gene count, but the scoreboard showed the Tigers had a sizable advantage in points.
Ephrata appeared to be human for only a few fleeting minutes as Oroville pulled even at 8-all in the early going. But the Tigers went on a 11-2 run to finish out the first quarter and it was readily apparent that they were an entirely different species.
The fast-breaking Tigers were off and running from the start as brothers Gary and Dale Hagy conducted a passing clinic, each racking up three first-half assists. Charlie Carlson kept the Hagys busy by starting many of the fast-breaks himself with a strong rebounding and shot-blocking exhibition.
"They're such great leapers," said Jefferson. "It just seemed like we were a half-second late here and a half-second late there."
The Tigers, up by nine after one quarter, kept on rolling in the second period. Carlson and Dale Hagy each hit three straight shots as Ephrata went out 39-20 at the intermission.
Carlson flashed the form that won him State Tournament MVP honors last year when the Tigers placed third in the Tacoma Dome. He finished the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and six-blocked shots.
Carlson's scoring totals are down this year, due to injury and the team's new style of play, according to O'Brien.
"He doesn't get the ball that much," said O'Brien. "Last year we didn't play all over the court like we do this year. He's the guy out-letting it. He didn't touch the ball all that much this year."
But O'Brien pointed out, he still a "big-game kid."
This is a team loaded with big-game kids.
Take the firm of Hagy & Hagy. Dale, master of the penetration, fired in 18 points and dished out five assists in a little over three quarters of play. Gary, master of the downtown shot, dropped in 17 points in addition to clutching six rebounds and handing out four assists.
Point guard Randy Winters scored just six points but "glues 'em all together; he's a point guard, boy," said O'Brien.
Inside man Greg Hewitt is easily overlooked in the shadows of Carlson and the Hagys, but O'Brien praised him for a defensive performance he felt "kept us in the game a lot tonight. I'm pleased with Greg's progression."
And when O'Brien cleared the bench with a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Tiger reserves held their own with the Hornet starters.
"We played hard and we played intense," said O'Brien, who said it was just like in practice this week, where things went so well he cut the players loose early. "I was kind of concerned because we were playing so well (in practice).
"We just had everything going our way. The team that usually plays the loosest usually wins and we were loose."
That was reflected in the shooting numbers, where the Tigers went 35 for 68 for the game (52 percent), led by the hot hands of Carlson (7-of-12), Dale Hagy (8-of-14) and Gary Hagy (8-of-14).
Defensively, Ephrata shut down Oroville, holding the Hornets to 19 of 67 shooting from the floor (28 percent).
Steve Rawley topped Oroville with 14 points on 6-of-20 shooting and Ed Ashworth was next with 10 points on 5-of-15 accuracy.
"We didn't execute well at times," said Jefferson, who said his team's early turnover trouble against the Ephrata press and the Tigers' strong rebounding were responsible for the Hornets difficulties.
Still, the Hornet coach expressed confidence in his players' ability to bounce back.
"One of our strengths is that we're mentally tough," said Jefferson. "So I look for us to come back. We know Cashmere is going to be fired up sky high."

Cashmere 64, Oroville 48
Game 13. (Winner to state, loser out)
At Eastmont High School

The message on the blackboard in the Cashmere locker room was simple and direct.
"The season doesn't end here, it starts here."
Cashmere made a new season, the State "A" basketball tournament, a reality by soundly defeating Oroville in the North Central District "A" boys basketball runner-up game Saturday night at the Eastmont High gym.
Cashmere (21-4) will the road to Tacoma Dome next week for its 15th State tourney appearance and first under rookie coach Steve Biehn. The Hornets closed out an 18-6 season, unable to duplicate the 47-45 semifinal upset over Cashmere last week.
"We showed a lot of poise this weekend," said Biehn, "especially poise under pressure. We played two big games with our backs to the wall."
As for State, 6-10 center Brian Paine, the Bulldogs' lone returning starter from last year's State champion club, didn't rule out a repeat State title performance.
"We're going over there to play as hard as we can and to do so as well as we can," said Paine. "I'd like to get a trophy."
Brian Paine lifted his foot out of an ice bucket and flashed a broad smile.
"I feel like this is the best I've played all season," he said.
His District encore performance was certainly impressive and had more than anything to do with the downfall of the feisty Oroville club. Paine's final line: 35 points, 12-of-16 from the field, 11-of-16 at the foul line, 13 rebounds, three blocks.
Paine's scoring total was a career-high and was the District tourney's six best individual-game effort. The 35 points upped his tournament average to 20.6, 10th best all-time.
But coach Biehn was more impressed with his star player's character than numbers.
"He's played hurt," said Biehn. "He twisted his ankle (in the first half against Quincy on Friday). He's just a great kid. He has shown a lot of leadership. Brian's poise rubbed off on everyone tonight."
Oroville opened the game as if it intended to repeat its semifinal game victory. The Hornets, benefiting from two quick perimeter buckets by Darrel Rounds, enjoyed early leads of 3-0, 5-4 and 7-6.
Then the dream ended.
The Bulldogs went on a 10-2 streak to close out the first period and never trailed again. Paine sparked the rally with 3-for-3 shooting.
Oroville pressed full-court in an effort to fluster the Bulldogs, but was only able to force nine turnovers over the first three quarters. And the hot shooting touch which was a key in their earlier upset never materialized in the Eastmont gym's atmosphere.
"If you don't put the round thing in the hole you don't win many basketball games," said Oroville coach Allen Jefferson, whose team followed up a 28 percent, showing in Friday's title game with a 30.5 percent display against Cashmere. "I think the kids tried hard instead of trying easy. They were pressing.
"But you've got to give Cashmere's defense some of the credit."
Said Biehn: "The kids deserve all the credit. It sure wasn't anything I did. We went to a packed-in 2-3 zone against a small team (no Oroville is taller than 6-0). It doesn't take a chemistry major to figure that out."
Cashmere certainly had the right chemistry. After Paine's big numbers, there was Eric Brown (12 points on 6-of-12 and four assists), Mark Milner (10 points, seven rebounds) and 6-4 point man Mike Haney (10 rebounds).
Biehn said the Cashmere success this season "hinged" on Haney's midseason move to the point position. He was the effective, workmanlike ball-handler against the the Hornets' buzzing press.
"Everything we do does through him and Brian," said Biehn. "He demonstrated poise as much as anyone tonight."
Oroville closed to within 27-21 early in the second half but Cashmere gradually pulled away as Paine hit for 26 points of his points in the second half and the Bulldogs converted their numerous foul shooting opportunities.
Ed Ashworth, a strong offensive force for the Hornets in the first half when he tallied points, was limited to 2-of-8 shooting in the second half and finished with 14 points. Darrel Rounds was next with 13 . Donnie Nigg's 3-for-5 outside shooting spark in the second half was simply too little too late.
Ashworth and Steve Rawley, each with six rebounds, were Oroville's best boardmen.
"I'm so proud of these guys," Jefferson said of his players. "They did everything I asked them to do. I've got a lot of good memories of this season." 

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Tournament Scoring Leaders