CBC is top 8 finisher in NWAC women’s tournament. Walla Walla in semifinals

Columbia Basin College women’s basketball coach Amy Sokaitis took some time off this week.

It’s a much-needed break for her and her Hawks having a great — but long — season. CBC went 21-8 this season, and it placed among the top 8 teams at the Northwest Athletic Conference women’s community college basketball championships, which are being held on the CBC campus in Pasco.

While the first two rounds for both men and women were held at CBC on March 4-8, the semifinals and finals for both tournaments are set to be played this weekend.

The men’s semifinals will be held at noon and 2 p.m. on Friday, March 13; while the women’s semifinals are set for 5 and 7 p.m. on the same day.

Sunday’s championship games are scheduled for noon (men) and 3 p.m. (women).

It’s a good time for Sokaitis to take a break.

“I have no interest in watching other teams play for the title,” she said. “But it’s going to be a really good set of games.”

The team to watch is Clackamas, which is unbeaten at 31-0. The Cougars have a chance to become just the third team in NWAC history to finish the season unbeaten.

Only Clark in 1993 (33-0) and Skagit Valley in 1998 (32-0) have managed the feat.

“Clackamas is really good offensively,” said Sokaitis. “But it’s really, really good defensively.”

Sokatis’ team won its opener last Friday, taking down Skagit Valley 65-47.

In that game, Nekha Roehl led the Hawks with 17 points, while Ezrah Ray added 14 points and 8 rebounds.

Hailey Jamison scored 11 points for CBC, while teammate Sadie Tanner added 10 points and 6 assists.

Alyssa Larson led the Cardinals with 12 points.

In the Saturday quarterfinals, CBC and Lower Columbia battled neck and neck through three quarters.

But the Red Devils pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks 25-10.

Jamison led CBC with 16 points, while Angelica Askey scored 17 points and had 7 steals for LCCC.

For Sokaitis, this season was very enjoyable.

“We sat in silence for a while after the game,” she said. “We thanked the sophomores. And we told the freshmen that come spring quarter we’ve got to get back to work.”

WWCC in semifinals

Meanwhile, Bobbi Hazeltine’s Walla Walla Community College team is back in the semifinals for the third straight season.

“Two years ago, we lost in the semifinals,” said Hazeltine. “Last year we won. And now we’re in it again.”

Hazeltine’s team went 2-0 last weekend, first beating Olympic 60-46 on Saturday night.

In that game, Hadley Fraas led the Warriors with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Addy Laible had 16 points and 7 boards.

On Saturday, Fraas sank a go-ahead free throw with 1 second remaining, as Walla Walla beat Lane 62-61.

Fraas finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Laible had 11 points and 18 boards.

Hazeltine feels good about this year’s squad.

“First of all, they love each other,” she said. “They get along so well. It’s the most supportive bench we’ve ever had. I also think that it’s a good blend of freshmen and sophomores.”

Hazeltine praises her assistant coaches for the team’s success. Yet she has been pleasantly surprised this season.

“We lost four really good players from last year’s team (playing four-year school ball),” she said. “I never dreamed we could be here again. This team has exceeded my expectations.”

Semifinals are at 5 and 7 p.m. today.

Men’s semifinals

Three of the four semifinalists come from the tough North Region, including Bellevue College, which is 29-2.

Lower Columbia is the only non-North team still alive. The Red Devils come from the West Region.

Semifinals are at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. today.

NWAC women

March 6

Game 1 — BIG BEND 54, BELLEVUE 46: Kaliyah Evans (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Oaklie Jackman (14 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles to lead the Moses Lake school to a first-round victory.

Game 2 — CLACKAMAS 87, HIGHLINE 28: Alana Washington scored 12 points, dished off 12 assists, and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the unbeaten Cougars to a first-round win.

Game 3 — LOWER COLUMBIA 70, CHEMEKETA 54: Shailoh Li’ili’I scored 20 points and grabbed 7 boards as the Red Devils rolled to a first-round victory.

Game 4 — COLUMBIA BASIN 65, SKAGIT VALLEY 47.

March 7

Game 5 — UMPQUA 75, SOUTH PUGET SOUND 67: Kaelyn Shoemaker scored 18 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead Umpqua to a first-round win.

Game 6 — PENINSULA 70, TREASURE VALLEY 66: Alecsis Smith led the Pirates to the first-round win, scoring 25 points and grabbing 9 boards.

GAME 7 — WALLA WALLA 60, OLYMPIC 46.

GAME 8 — LANE 92, GREEN RIVER 47: Gretchen Orrin led the Titans into the quarterfinals by scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

GAME 9 — CLACKAMAS 74, BIG BEND 55: Mae Washington and Mollie Miller each scored 21 points, Washington added 11 rebounds, and the Cougars rolled into the semifinals with the victory.

GAME 10 — LOWER COLUMBIA 65, COLUMBIA BASIN 50.

March 8

GAME 11 — PENINSULA 71, UMPQUA 57: Kimberlee Brown led the Pirates with 16 points, as Peninsula advanced to the Final 4.

GAME 12 — WALLA WALLA 62, LANE 61.

March 13

Semifinals

Game 13 — Clackamas (31-0) vs. Lower Columbia (25-4), 5 p.m.

Game 14 — Peninsula (24-4) vs. Walla Walla (27-4), 7 p.m.

March 15

Championship

Game 15 — winner 13 vs. winner 14, 3 p.m.

NWAC men

March 6

Game 11 — SKAGIT VALLEY 91, CENTRALIA 52: Treyshawn Weatherspoon was one of three Cardinals scoring at least 20 points, leading his team to the quarterfinal victory with 24 points.

Game 12 — EDMONDS 73, LANE 72: Avidan West’s layup with 5 seconds remaining gave the Tritons a quarterfinal win over the Titans.

March 13

Semifinals

Game 13 — Bellevue (29-2) vs. Lower Columbia (22-6), noon

Game 14 —Edmonds (20-11) vs. Skagit Valley (28-3), 2 p.m.

March 15

Championship

Game 15 — winner 13 vs. winner 14, noon

-Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.