Chiawana boys, Kamiakin and Richland girls earn 4A WA tournament basketball spots
All season long, Chad Herron’s Chiawana boys basketball team has always been on the edge, trying to bust through with that big victory.
It just never happened in the Mid-Columbia Conference regular season against the Riverhawks’ rivals — Richland and Kamiakin — where Chiawana dropped two games each to those squads.
Well, it finally happened on Tuesday night.
Using a dominating game from seniors Donavin Young and Kade Smith, Chiawana held off the Richland Bombers 69-66 in a Class 4A District 8 winners bracket semifinal win at Richland’s Art Dawald Gymnasium.
The win gives Chiawana a berth into the 4A state tournament, and the Riverhawks will visit Gonzaga Prep at 6 p.m. on Saturday for the district championship.
“These kids played their tails off,” said Herron. “Those seniors stepped up. They hit clutch free throws, grabbed big rebounds, took charges. It was a great team effort, and we’ve worked hard all year long.”
The Chiawana boys weren’t the only big winners on Tuesday.
The Kamiakin and Richland girls also seized 4A state tournament berths with district winners bracket semifinal victories. Also, the Kennewick boys and girls both won 3A contests that sends them into district championship games on Thursday that award state tournament berths to the winners.
CHIAWANA 69, RICHLAND 66
This game was tight the entire way, with 12 lead changes and 8 ties.
But it was Young who exploded late in the game for the Riverhawks, scoring 8 of Chiawana’s last 9 points of the game — including a hammer dunk off a great pass from teammate Mason Castillo.
And it was Smith who continued to score at key moments in the final quarter that kept Chiawana in the game.
But the game wasn’t decided until the final buzzer. Richland junior Josh Woodard sank a running 3-point field goal with 4.2 seconds left to cut Chiawana’s lead to 67-66.
Young responded by sinking two clutch free throws at the 4.1 seconds mark for the 69-66 lead, and then Woodard let fly a long 3-point shot that hit the rim, just short of the mark, as time expired.
Young finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals; while Smith had 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. DJ Duran came off of the bench to add 12 points.
Richland, suffering its first loss since Dec. 3, was led by Luke Westerfield’s 18 points and 9 rebounds. Landon Northrop added 13 points and 5 rebounds.
The Bombers still have a chance to qualify for the 4A state tournament, but they’ll have to win two games: a loser-out contest against Hanford at 6 p.m. Thursday, and then a state play-in game on Saturday.
GONZAGA PREP 69, KAMIAKIN 56
The visiting Braves made two runs at the Bullpups, but Gonzaga Prep used a 20-10 fourth quarter to pull away.
Peter Dress and Fabian Hernandez each scored 16 points to lead Kamiakin, which plays host to Lewis & Clark at 6 p.m. Thursday in a loser-out game.
HANFORD 70, CENTRAL VALLEY 61
Carter Fewel sank six 3-point field goals and finished with 28 points to help lead the visiting Falcons in a loser-out victory.
Teammate Andrew Dearman added 16 points.
LEWIS & CLARK 67, PASCO 25
The visiting Bulldogs saw their season end in a loser-out game. Kayshaun Davis led Pasco with 10 points.
4A District 8 boys tournament
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Game 5, (3) Lewis & Clark 67, (8) Pasco 25 (loser out)
Game 6, (7) Hanford 70, (5) Central Valley 61 (loser out)
Game 7, (6) Chiawana 69, (2) Richland 66 (winner to state)
Game 8, (1) Gonzaga Prep 69, (4) Kamiakin 56 (winner to state)
Thursday, Feb. 16
Game 9, (3) Lewis & Clark at (4) Kamiakin (loser out), 6 p.m.
Game 10, (7) Hanford at (2) Richland (loser out), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 11, (6) Chiawana at (1) Gonzaga Prep (both to state), 6 p.m.
Game 12, winner 9 vs. winner 10 at higher seed (winner to state, loser out), 6 p.m.
KAMIAKIN 55, CHIAWANA 50
Kamiakin coach Lane Schumacher has taken to calling his team the Cardiac Kids.
Why not? It seems — the last few weeks anyway — that the Braves get off to a slow start and then methodically pull themselves out of a hole late in the game to get the win.
It was no different Tuesday.
The young Riverhawks led by 13 at one point in the second quarter, and as much as 11 in the middle of the third.
Chiawana still led 49-42 entering the fourth quarter. But then things changed.
“We started changing up our defense,” said Schumacher. “We had a half-court press, then in the fourth quarter we played them straight man-to-man. We started to get them on their heels. My dad was a big proponent on changing defenses.”
The result was Chiawana scored just 1 point in the fourth quarter as Kamiakin took over. Maddy Rendall sank two treys in the quarter to lead the way. In one stretch, Chiawana had five consecutive turnovers in that fourth quarter.
Rendall finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds, while teammate Nicole Wertenberger added 11 points.
Malia Ruud led Chiawana with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Kamiakin now hosts Richland in the 4A district championship at 5 p.m. Saturday, while Chiawana hosts Lewis & Clark at 5 p.m. Thursday in a loser-out game.
RICHLAND 80, CENTRAL VALLEY 52
The Bombers jumped out to a 22-8 first quarter lead and never looked back in the road victory over the Greater Spokane League’s top team.
Kylie Fox, bound for Fresno State next year, led the way for Richland with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Teammate Maggie Smith added 21 points and 5 rebounds.
LEWIS & CLARK 71, HANFORD 42
The visiting Falcons saw their season end in a loser-out game. Lynnea Moran led Hanford with 15 points.
GONZAGA PREP 72, PASCO 30
Mireyah Lopez and Tayvia Young each scored 8 points, but it wasn’t enough as the visiting Bulldogs saw their season end in a loser-out contest.
4A District 8 girls tournament
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Game 5, (3) Gonzaga Prep 72, (8) Pasco 30 (loser out)
Game 6, (5) Lewis & Clark 71, (7) Hanford 42 (loser out)
Game 7, (2) Kamiakin 55, (6) Chiawana 50 (winner to state)
Game 8, (4) Richland 82, (1) Central Valley 52 (winner to state)
Thursday, Feb. 16
Game 9, (3) Gonzaga Prep at (1) Central Valley (loser out), 6 p.m.
Game 10, (5) Lewis & Clark at (6) Chiawana (loser out), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 11, (4) Richland at (2) Kamiakin (both to state), 5 p.m.
Game 12, winner 9 vs. winner 10 at higher seed (winner to state, loser out), 6 p.m.
KENNEWICK 63, FERRIS 46
Nathan Knapik scored 19 points and Adrian Cervantes added 13 as the host Lions advanced to the winners bracket final in the boys 3A district tournament.
Kennewick used a 20-9 fourth quarter to put the game away. The Lions will host Mt. Spokane at 7 p.m. Thursday, with a 3A state berth on the line.
MT. SPOKANE 83, WALLA WALLA 53
The host Wildcats used a 32-6 third quarter to take control in the winners bracket semifinal.
The Blue Devils, who were led by Ken Higgins’ 18 points, will host Ferris in a loser-out contest on Thursday.
3A District 8 boys tournament
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Game 5, (1) Kennewick 63, (4) Ferris 46
Game 6, (2) Mt. Spokane 83, (3) Walla Walla 53
Thursday, Feb. 16
Game 7, (4) Ferris at (3) Walla Walla (loser out), 7 p.m.
Game 8, (2) Mt. Spokane at (1) Kennewick (winner to state), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 9, winner 7 vs. loser 8 at higher seed (winner to state, loser out), 6 p.m.
KENNEWICK 57, MT. SPOKANE 41
The host Lions advanced to the district championship when they outscored the Wildcats 20-10 in the third quarter and hung on for the win.
Taylor Adams led the way for Kennewick with 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Dylyn Dress added 14 points (on 4-for-5 shooting from the 3-point line) and 8 rebounds.
Kennewick will host Mead at 5 p.m. Thursday for the district championship and a state 3A berth.
MEAD 68, WALLA WALLA 31
The host Panthers had a 25-7 first quarter lead and never looked back in the winners bracket semifinal victory.
Madison Reibel had 9 points for the Blue Devils, who host Mt. Spokane in a loser-out game on Thursday.
3A District 8 girls tournament
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Game 5, (1) Kennewick 57, (4) Mt. Spokane 41
Game 6, (2) Mead 68, (3) Walla Walla 31
Thursday, Feb. 16
Game 7, (4) Mt. Spokane at (3) Walla Walla (loser out), 5 p.m.
Game 8, (2) Mead at (1) Kennewick (winner to state), 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18
Game 9, winner 7 vs. loser 8 at higher seed (winner to state, loser out), 6 p.m.
This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 12:52 PM.