Indians win late, lose big at ML

December 21, 2011

Colville’s J.R. Henry and Jay Shoemaker defend against Lakeland.

A tip-in with three seconds left by 6-9 sophomore post Matt Hubbard lifted Colville High (4-3) to a wild 52-50 win over visiting Lakeland last Thursday night.
On Friday at Medical Lake, the Indians were outscored 16-4 in the second quarter and dropped a 48-32 decision to the Cardinals of the Great Northern League.
Back on Dec. 12, Colville used a big second half to rout visiting Wellpinit, 60-33.
THIS WEEK
Colville was at Okanogan (5-2) on Tuesday in a non-league game against the Caribou-Trail League club. The Pioneers are led by 6-6 senior post Joe Townsend.
Colville managed to beat Okanogan last season, but that was last year. In many ways, Colville is more inexperienced that they were one season ago.
CHS head coach John Foulkes knows Okanogan well from last season. They return four starters. He also scouted OHS last Saturday in a 54-53 overtime loss at Cheney.
Townsend, like he always does, led Okanogan with 35 points.
Colville lost badly at home to Cheney earlier this month.
“I would expect that they (Okanogan) would be fairly motivated to play us,” Foulkes said, referring to their two losses last season to Colville. “We’re excited to play them. They are one of the best teams in the Caribou-Trail League and it will give us a measuring stick about how we are playing.”

Indians have been inconsistent of late

To date, the Indians have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball. CHS has been getting solid scoring from their big three of Hubbard, Alex Pond and J.R. Henry, but that’s been pretty much it.
“We have to get better,” Foulkes said. “We are definitely a work in progress.”
A win at Okanogan would likely be something of an upset and would give the Indians a confidence boost heading into the holidays.
“We’ll try and defend Townsend by committee,” Foulkes said. “But they’ve got other kids that can hurt you.”
Foulkes said Cheney didn’t look anything like the team that pretty much manhandled his Colville team defensively.
“Cheney didn’t look like the team that handled us,” Foulkes said.
After the Christmas break, Colville will make its annual trip to Yakima and the SunDome Shootout. The Indians have a tough draw with Granger on Dec. 29 and Connell on Dec. 30.
RECAP
In a game that was mostly close throughout, Lakeland outscored Colville 15-7 in the third quarter and led 40-34 after three quarters. But led by Hubbard’s 27 points, the Indians outscored the Hawks of the Idaho Inland Empire League 18-10 in the fourth quarter.
Fueling Colville’s fourth quarter run was Hubbard’s break-away dunk at the 7:20 mark that drew a technical foul from the Colville Valley officiating crew (hanging on the rim).
Lakeland led by eight points at that juncture. One-minute later, Lakeland’s lead had been trimmed to 40-37 on a Hubbard free throw.
A Hubbard put-back and free throw narrowed the gap to 41-40 at the 6:06 mark of the fourth quarter.
Pond, on a nifty baseline spin move, gave CHS the lead at 42-41 with 5:20 remaining.
Lakeland recaptured the lead on a lay-in and a free throw before Hubbard buried a three-pointer to tie it at 45-all with 2:50 remaining.
But Lakeland responded with a deep three of their own to take a 48-45 lead with 2:30 left.
Back came Colville and Hubbard. A fade-away jumper from 15-feet out narrowed the LHS lead to 48-47.
Lakeland converted one of two free throws at the 1:10 mark to push their lead to 49-47. But Pond drove the lane for two to tie the game at 49-all with 43 seconds left in regulation.
Lakeland converted the front end of a one-and-one with 18 seconds left that gave the visitors a 50-49 lead and set up Hubbard’s late heroics.
After a Colville timeout, Henry drove the baseline. His lay-in fell off the rim and into the hands of Hubbard, whose put-back with three seconds left gave CHS a 51-50 lead. Hubbard was fouled on the play and converted the free throw.
Foulkes was pleased to get the win over a team that handled the Indians in Rathdrum, Idaho last season.
“I thought we played okay—not great,” Foulkes said. “Matt was in the right place at the right time there.”
Hubbard was 11 of 15 from the field and three of four at the free throw line. He pulled down 14 rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked three shots.
Pond was solid with 14 points and eight rebounds. He dished out two assists. Henry had eight points and eight rebounds.
Foulkes credited Garth Vaagen and Taylor Murto for some solid work on the defensive end. Murto, Colville’s point guard, had only two turnovers.
Once again, the Indians had too many turnovers—20. CHS was 20 of 51 from the field (39 percent) and two of nine from three-point distance (both Hubbard treys).

16-4 ML run

Lakeland was 18 of 53 from the field. The Hawks stayed in it with some hot three-point shooting (seven of 14).
Lakeland committed only six turnovers.
One night later against Medical Lake’s athleticism, Colville was taken out in the second quarter. In a grinder-type game, it’s tough to overcome a 16-4 deficit. So it went in an ugly second quarter.
“Medical Lake has played well of late,” Foulkes said. “We had trouble keeping Kendyl Dunn (24 points, eight rebounds and five assists) out of the lane.”
Unlike past ML editions, which have been more freelance and up-tempo, this Cardinals’ outfit is more methodical. At least they were against front-loaded Colville.
“They have kind of adapted the old Washington State University philosophy of former coach Tony Bennett,” Foulkes said. “Run the clock down…run a weave out front…dump it down and get a good shot. They have some good playmakers who can make that work for them.”
“They have done a pretty good job of adapting to what they have and the Dunn kid is smooth as silk,” Foulkes said.
ML packed it in and didn’t give Colville many opportunities. The Indians hit only 14 of 43 from the field (32.6 percent). CHS turned the ball over a season-low 13 times.
ML was 16 of 41 from the field in this grinder. The Cardinals were 6 of 15 from long range.
Colville managed only one of 13 from three-point distance.
The Indians were three of four from the free throw line. The hosts were 10 of 15.
“It just wasn’t our night on offense,” Foulkes said.
Medical Lake packed in a zone around Colville’s size inside. The Indians had no answers. Thirty-seven of Colville’s 43 shots came from Hubbard, Pond and Henry.
There weren’t many rebounds to be had, but CHS out-boarded ML 20-18.

35-4 run

In the win over Wellpinit, Colville went on a 35-4 second half run to turn a competitive game into a rout. Colville outscored the Redskins 25-4 in the third quarter.
Henry led the Indians with 23 points and nine rebounds. He was 10 of 17 from the field.
Hubbard added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Murto had six assists and no turnovers. Pond added five assists to go with 14 points.
Jay Shoemaker was three of five from the field (seven points) and dished out four assists.

CHS 52, Lakeland 50
LHS 12 13 15 10— 50
CHS 14 13 7 18-- 52

Lakeland—Black 13, Spencer 11, Horne 12, Cooper 10, Frank 2, Simpson 2.
Colville—Hubbard 27, Henry 8, Vaagen 2, Lee 1, Pond 14.

Medical Lk 48, Colville 32
CHS 11 4 9 9—32
ML 10 16 8 14—48

Colville—Hubbard 16, Khater 2, Pond 8, Henry 6.
Medical Lake—Butorac 4, Garza 4, Paulson 15, Teshome 1, Dunn 24.