CONNELL -- The Connell girls basketball team's hopes of the SCAC East regular season title took a major hit Friday, as the Eagles lost 53-50 to Mabton at home.
Connell now trails Kiona-Benton by one in the loss column. Kiona-Benton has two games left in the regular season, while Connell is done until the district tournament next week.
"They took it at us in the second half and got us into foul trouble," Connell coach Kameron Jenks said. "We had to recover defensively. It was the free throws that did us in."
If Kiona-Benton loses one of its next two games, then the Eagles would claim the crown because of a draw already done. The teams split their regular season meetings.
On Friday, Mabton was 16-for-24 from the line in the second half. Jazzee Sustaita led Mabton with 17 points, while Alyssa Nash added 12 points.
Shelby English's 11 points led Connell, while Michelle Schultz added 10 points and seven rebounds.
MABTON -- Rodriguez, Rojas, Cerrillo 11, McCollum 7, Nash 12, Sustaita 17, Barajas 6, Villalobos, Zaragas.
CONNELL -- Thompson 4, Kroontje, Hawkins 4, Easterday 6, K. Booker, M. Booker 9, Boyd, Riner, Whitby, Pierson 6, Shelby English 11, Schultz 10.
Mabton 5 7 16 25 -- 53
Connell 11 11 8 20 -- 50
Highlights -- Ashley Thompson 8 rbs; Kody Easterday 6 rbs, 6 assts, 3 stls; Marci Hawkins 4 rbs, 5 stls; Michelle Schultz 7 rbs.
Kiona-Benton 56, Wahluke 29: Cierra Torp had 15 points for Kiona-Benton in an SCAC 1A East dumping of Wahluke in Benton City.
WAHLUKE -- Olivarez 2, Mendez 2, Marleny Garcia 11, Ramirez 5, Salazar, Verduzco, Martinez 1, Moreno 3, Hernandez 5.
KIONA-BENTON -- Henrich, Morgan 2, Torres 12, Vickerman 5, Cierra Torp 15, Schroeder 13, Brown 6, Haughton, Watts 3, Schuster.
Wahluke 9 8 7 5 -- 29
Kiona-Benton 11 16 22 7 -- 56
River View 42, Royal 28: Kim Gier had 16 points for River View in an SCAC 1A East win on the road against Royal. Lindsey and Moriah Christensen had a combined 15 points for the Knights.
RIVER VIEW -- Kim Gier 16, Burnett 6, Hess 12, Hull 3, Dickinson 3, Smith 2, Sallee, Wilhelm, Hamlin, Williamson.
ROYAL -- Lindsey Christensen 8, M. Christensen 7, Araujo 5, Smith 4, Hebdon 2, Guadarrama 2, Jenks, Squeochs.
River View 11 7 11 13 -- 42
Royal 6 7 4 9 -- 28
