From the Saint Martin’s University Facebook page…
“Congratulations to Saints baseball players Stephen Mahnken and Casey Thorpe on being selected to join the Athletes in Action International Baseball team this summer! Stephen and Casey will travel to the Dominican Republic to play baseball and share their Christian faith. #GoSaints”
Mahnken is a freshman outfielder from Puyallup and Thorpe is a freshman catcher from Olympia High School.
The Saints Martin’s Saints women (7-12 overall, 2-7 GNAC) host second place Seattle Pacific (12-5 overall, 6-3 GNAC) tonight at Marcus Pavilion. Seattle Pacific sophomore forward Katie Benson is fifth in the GNAC in scoring with 16.1 points per game and senior guard Nyesha Sims is third in rebounding pulling down 9.1 rebounds per game despite standing only 5’8″. The Falcons handled the Saints in Seattle 70-39 just before the new year. Now that I’ve really sold you on the game, let me add that tip-off is set for 7:00 PM.
In girl’s basketball action, it’s a Tumwater/Lacey showdown as River Ridge (10-6, overall, 6-2 Evergreen) hosts Black Hills (10-4 overall, 3-3 Evergreen) and North Thurston (12-2 overall, 6-1 Evergreen) hosts Tumwater (8-7 overall, 3-4 Evergreen) in makeup games from last week’s snowstorm. The Rams beat Tumwater by just five on January 6th and have to be wary of a letdown against the T-Birds the day before they take on first place W.F. West on Friday night. River Ridge beat Black Hills 72-62 in their first meeting earlier this season.
The Evergreen State College Geoducks head out on the east CCC roadtrip this weekend taking on The College of Idaho on Friday in Caldwell and Eastern Oregon on Saturday in LaGrande. Here is the weekly release previewing the match-ups for the men and for the women.
Note: in the men’s release it is mentioned that they will welcome more available players to the squad. According to head coach Arvin Mosley Jr. on Twitter, these will be returning Geoducks and not new players. Evergreen has been playing with only six or seven players for the last couple weeks.
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Congratulations to Olympia native and North Thurston alum Kasey Keller on being named the Professional Sports Star of the Year at the 77th Seattle Sports Star of the Year banquet at Benaroya Hall on Wednesday night. Keller retired after last season following a 20 year career that took him to Europe’s top leagues and included the last three seasons with Seattle Sounders FC. He will join the Sounders broadcast booth for the 2012 season.
Read more about the awards on The Seattle Times and SportsPress Northwest which has some choice quotes from Keller’s speech including his plea to bring back the Sonics.
Boy’s basketball
Olympia 56, Bellarmine Prep 53
Foss 61, Timberline 37
Wilson 74, Capital 58
North Thurston 60, W.F. West 53
It was a game of ups-and-downs in Olympia. The Bears took a 15 point lead at halftime but were outscored by Bellarmine 25-9 in the third quarter and found themselves down 44-43. But Olympia took the final period 13-9 to score the upset of the state’s #1 ranked team. Senior guard Trevor Houser led the way for Olympia with 17 points while Dominick Franks and Brendan Leonard each added 12 points.
Girl’s basketball
Bellarmine Prep 65, Olympia 47
Wilson 71, Capital 17
Timberline 49, Foss 29
Women’s basketball
Highline 60, SPSCC 45
Men’s basketball
According to Twitter, Highline blew out the Clippers though I can’t find a score anywhere. Highline 80, SPSCC 51.
P.S…I know that I’m missing some makeup games around town that were not listed on any schedules or calendars. The only one I found was the North Thurston/W.F. West boy’s basketball score.
Missed in yesterday’s preview and recap were Northwest Christian’s non-league basketball games against Evergreen Lutheran. Both teams picked up wins with the boys beating the Eagles 73-66 and the girls scoring an easy 48-16 victory.
Big boy’s basketball game in the 4A Narrows League tonight when Olympia (10-3 overall, 6-1 Narrows) plays host to #1 ranked Bellarmine Prep (12-1 overall, 8-0 Narrows). on December 16th, the Bears nearly pulled off the upset losing 51-49 at Bellarmine. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM at Chick Rockey Gym.
In other boy’s basketball action, Timberline (5-8 overall, 0-4 Narrows) hosts Foss (10-2 overall, 2-1 Narrows) and Capital (5-5 overall, 2-1 Narrows) hosts #6 ranked Wilson (12-2 overall, 4-0 Narrows).
The South Puget Sound Clippers host Highline tonight. The doubleheader tips off at 6:00 with the women and continues at 8:00 with the men.
After forfeiting a good portion of their games last year when they couldn’t field a team, the Clippers women (3-11 overall, 0-5 NWAACC West) are again down to only seven players. Three players do most of the work for the Clippers as Alychia Colon, Monteaka Norwood and Aisha Jones all average just over 13 points per game.
The men’s team (5-10 overall, 1-4 NWAACC West) is lead by Black Hill’s Anye Turner and Georgia native Scotty Ewing, who are each scoring 15 points per game. They’ll have to stop Highline’s (4-12 overall, 3-4 NWAACC West) 6’10” freshman forward, Nikosi Ali (another Georgia native) and his 16.8 points per game.
SMUSaints.com has a preview of Thursday’s men’s basketball game against 6-11 Gonzaga transfer Andy Polling and his Seattle Pacific Falcons.
SMU up against another tall challenge, face 6-11 SPU center
Boy’s basketball
River Ridge 72, W.F. West 55
Tumwater 71, Aberdeen 62
Centralia 67, North Thurston 65
A big shakeup in the Evergreen Conference standings after tonight. With Tumwater’s win and North Thurston’s loss, the Rams and T-Birds are tied for first at 5-2. The two teams meet on Friday night in Lacey with first place in the conference on the line. River Ridge’s win moves them into third at 5-3 and W.F. West’s loss drops them from second to fourth.
Girl’s basketball
North Thurston 57, Centralia 35
Tumwater 71, Aberdeen 70
W.F West 49, River Ridge 42
North Thurston won their 8th straight game after jumping out to a 39-13 halftime lead. W.F. West’s only loss of the season was to River Ridge in Lacey, the Hawks were unable to give them their second loss at their hands on Tuesday night.
High school sports finally get back on track tonight after all the snow.
Only one boy’s game in town tonight as River Ridge hosts W.F. West at 7:30. The Hawks fell to 4-3 in the Evergreen Conference last night after an overtime loss in Centralia and have now dropped three straight. They had been tied with the Bearcats and Tumwater for second place before the loss.
Two girl’s games in town tonight. The ninth ranked North Thurston Rams host Centralia and Tumwater takes on Aberdeen. North Thurston comes in at 11-2 while Centralia is just 1-14 and in their previous meeting on January 3rd, the Rams won easily, 72-34.
Oly Sports 