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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Gorillas pull away from Reardan
Davenport senior Jensyn Jacobsen attacks the left block in the Gorillas' 49-38 district semifinal win over Reardan Wednesday, Feb. 7.
SPOKANE VALLEY-Davenport and Reardan basketball games are rarely unexciting. And that was certainly the case with a berth in the District 7 2B Championship game on the line Wednesday night, and it was the Gorillas finding a way to beat the Screaming Eagles 49-38 for Davenport's first over its rival in three tries this season Feb. 7.
The first quarter showed the intensity one might expect from a playoff game between two rivals. Davenport took a 12-9 lead as Jensyn Jacobsen notched six points, while Tenice Waters led the Reardan offense with five points.
Reardan outscored Davenport by a slim two points in the second quarter, and the Gorillas led 22-21 at halftime.
The Screaming Eagles built a lead in the third quarter, going up 27-24. That's when the Davenport offense exploded.
A three-pointer to tie the game by Glenna Soliday sparked a 13-0 Davenport run, and suddenly the Gorillas led 37-27 going into the final quarter.
"We just had a variety of people shoot," Davenport head coach Stacia Soliday said. "We got in a little bit of a rhythm and took shots we should've taken because they were open. Sometimes we don't make those or they bounce around, but today they were going in."
It was a lead the Reardan offense couldn't surmount, and Davenport clinched a spot in Saturday's District title game.
"We lost two times to them this season, and it was kind of like we know what they got and they know what we got," Jacobsen said. "Stacia said 'it's hard to beat a team three times...this could be your one game.'"
Jacobsen led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds. Soliday added 12 points, while Addie Schneider had 10 points.
Clare Lathrop added eight points and nine rebounds for Davenport.
Waters was Reardan's only double-figure scorer, notching 15 points.
"They played good D. We weren't structured tonight and didn't run our stuff," Reardan head coach Bob Swannack said. "Giving up 49 (points) is what I'm most disappointed about. We're a good defensive team. I think the moment might've been a little big tonight for my young group."
Davenport secured its spot in the semifinal matchup with a 63-47 pulling-away victory over Liberty Saturday, Feb. 3. The Gorillas outscored the Lancers by 16 points in the fourth quarter to advance.
Soliday scored 27 points and Lathrop scored 22 points in the victorious effort.
Davenport will play Colfax in the District 7 Championship, while Reardan will play Northwest Christian to advance to the third/fourth place game.
Colfax is led by Brynn McGaughy, the Class of 2025 No. 15 player in the country on ESPN.com with offers from many Division I schools.
"It will be a challenge," Stacia Soliday smirked.
Davenport and Colfax tip off at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Reardan and Northwest Christian play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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