Leave it to the sophomores

Big Bend's sophomores push Spokane to the wire

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend head coach Craig Randall honored his sophomores by starting them in the final game of the season. The lineup change almost got Randall and the Lady Vikings a win.

Spokane came into the game needing a win and some key losses around the league to make a run for the postseason. Big Bend almost dashed those dreams by taking the Sasquatch to the wire, only to fall in the end 50-47.

"We decided to start the sophomores tonight because it was their night and they caught fire," Randall said.

Rachel Roylance took advantage of the start with nine points and eight rebounds, only to be shown up by freshman Sheena Henderson, who had 16 points and six rebounds in the loss for the Lady Vikings.

Roylance and Henderson were the Big Bend offense to start the game. Roylance hit two baskets to open the first half and followed a Courtney Gates transition basket with a 3-pointer with 13:06 left in the first half to put the Lady Vikings up 11-2.

Henderson added two baskets at the end of the half to send the Lady Vikings into halftime leading 23-20 over Spokane.

In the second half, Gates converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way, making the basket and getting to the free-throw line to push Big Bend's lead back to eight points. Henderson followed with two straight shots to give the Lady Vikings their second double-digit lead of the game with less than 15 minutes to go in the game.

From there, Big Bend started to crumble to the Sasquatch defense.

"We had a stretch in the first half where they had four or five turnovers in a row and the same stretch in the second half," Randall said. "That is how it has been all year."

Brandt hit a 3-pointer with 4:23 left in the half for the final Big Bend lead in the game and then watched as Spokane ran off on a 9-3 run to finish with a 50-47 win.

Jackie Albi led the Sasquatch with 15 points in the win.

Randall said his core of seven freshman, mixed with a group of incoming freshmen, has given the second-year head coach higher hopes for next season. He said the youth of his roster this season plagued them during the season, but the experience in seven freshman, five of which got significant playing time, should stack the deck in Randall's favor.

"I sure like some of our freshmen who are loyal kids and are going to work really hard in the offseason," Randall added.