Responsibility for the Cheney girls’ basketball team’s two losses in the Eagle Holiday could land on a variety of shoulders, but head coach Ken Ryan said that number is much more easily defined.
Ryan said the outcomes, a 64-61 loss Dec. 28 to West Valley and a humbling 46-22 loss to Colville, Dec. 29, are largely his responsibility in one way or another. The Blackhawks turned things around by topping Wenatchee 46-26 Jan. 2 in a game rescheduled following an earlier weather delay.
Following the loss to tournament host West Valley in which the critical final edge came with the Eagles winning the fourth quarter 20-17, “We played a late game and had to turn around and play a morning game. I didn’t get them ready,” Ryan admitted.
Cheney (4-5) was led by the 18 points from Macey Richards, but got solid offensive performances from both Tatum Sloan and Shauna Elliot with 14 points apiece.
The Blackhawks faced a very experienced and cohesive Colville team that plays year-around in AAU ball. The Crimson Hawks bolted to a 16-4 first quarter lead and went to halftime beat up 26-8. This game was more about the Blackhawks’ offense – or lack thereof — Ryan said.
“We need to make our two footers and free throws,” he wrote in an email. “We need to be more focused in the game but loses are about the coaching and winning about the players; so, my fault.” Macey Richards’ six points was tops in an anemic Cheney offense.
Sloan’s 18 points led Cheney past Wenatchee in a game where defense limited the Panthers to single digit scoring in all four quarters.
Cheney enters a string of three straight road games to open league play in the GSL
Blackhawks on the road for their first three contests at Mt. Spokane Jan. 3, at Ferris (Jan. 6, 5:30 p.m.) and at Gonzaga Prep (Jan. 10, 5:30 p.m.).
Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at [email protected].
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