Three straight road losses last week helped keep the Cheney High School boys’ basketball team at the bottom of the Great Northern League pack.
The Blackhawks came up short in a couple of tough losses to Spokane Valley schools, beginning with a 51-41 loss Jan. 6 at East Valley and last Friday’s 53-47 setback at West Valley. Last Saturday, Cheney was no match for the No. 4-ranked 2A school in the state, Pullman, falling 66-35 to the Greyhounds.
The Blackhawks had shots at upsetting both Valley schools. Tuesday against the Knights, Cheney used an 11-4 third quarter to erase a six-point halftime deficit and take a one-point lead, 30-29. But in the fourth, East Valley found its shooting touch, getting seven points from Tanner Jacobs and eight points from Dante Clayton to outscore Cheney 22-11 for the win.
Gaige Felix led the Blackhawks in scoring with 12 points while Brett Wyborney added eight. East Valley’s Jacobs led all scorers with 16.
Friday at West Valley, the Cheney boys used one of their best scoring quarters this season to erase a 26-20 West Valley lead at the half. The Blackhawks outscored the Eagles 24-3 in the third to take a 44-35 lead into the final eight minutes.
But in that final period the lid clamped shut over Cheney’s basket, while the Eagles, led by Austin Yoakum who scored six of his 12 points in the frame, rallied to outscore the Blackhawks 18-3 for the win. Felix again led Cheney in scoring with 13, with Jacob Whiteley and Nick Hohrman each adding eight.
No quarter scores from Pullman were available at press time. Wyborney and JT Gould led Cheney in scoring with nine points each.
The Blackhawks fall to 0-5 in league play, 4-8 overall. Cheney took a break from GNL play by traveling to Medical Lake on Jan. 14 for the annual Golden Feather Spirit Game. The Blackhawks return home to open a four-game home stand, beginning with Saturday’s second match up with GNL fourth-place East Valley.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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