College roundup: Yaks score first-round upset

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Capitalizing on a big advantage in turnovers and three players reaching the 20-point mark, the Yakima Valley men’s basketball team defeated top-ranked Clark 97-84 in overtime in the first round of the NWAACC Tournament Saturday night in the Toyota Center.

YVCC forced 31 turnovers, which they turned into 23 points to help advance to today’s 6 p.m. matchup with Chemeketa.

The Yaks only allowed eight points off their own 15 turnovers.

YVCC (18-10) was led by Dabrail Henton’s 23 points. Joining Henton in the 20-plus club were Cameron Jensen with 22 points and Royal with 20.

Erik Martinez scored with three seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.

The extra session was highlighted by a 40-foot shot by YVCC’s Amir Royal to beat the shot clock.

The Yaks took a five-point lead in overtime and salted the game away at the free-throw line.

“We played with a mental toughness we havent had before,” coach Ray Funk said.

DeShawn Battle added 16 points for Yakima Valley.

Austin Bragg scored 21 points to lead Clark (25-3).

CLARK — Hamler 1-6 0-0 5, Potts 0-0 4-4 4, Austin Bragg 8-13 4-5 20, Lucas Swanson 2-12 2-4 12, Anderson 2-2 0-0 4, Derek Owens 1-5 10-10 12, Giles 4-8 0-1 8, Blake Bowen 5-9 0-1 13, Rosser 0-2 0-0 0, Kiser 3-5 0-0 6. Totals 26-62 20-25 84.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Diggs 1-5 0-0 2, DeShawn Battle 1-4 11-18 16, Amir Royal 2-6 10-14 20, Martinez 2-2 4-4 8, Bagby 1-4 1-2 3, Molina 1-7 0-0 2, Dabrail Henton 2-7 10-12 23, Cameron Jensen 8-13 0-0 22, Romero 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 18-50 37-52 97.

Halftime — Yakima Valley 33, Clark 33. 3-point goals — Clark 4-20 (Swanson 2-3, Hamler 1-2, Bowen 1-4, Giles 0-1, Kiser 0-1, Anderson 0-2, Potts 0-3, Owens 0-4), Yakima Valley 8-19 (Henton 3-5, Jensen 2-4, Royal 2-5, Battle 1-3, Bagby 0-1, Molina 0-1). Fouled out — Bowen, Molina. Rebounds — Clark 69 (Bragg 21), Yakima Valley 46 (Battle 8). Assists — Clark 16 (Bowen 4), Yakima Valley 11 (Martinez 4). Turnovers — Clark 31, Yakima Valley 15. Total fouls — Clark 38, Yakima Valley 28.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Jordan, Newcomb lift YVCC

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Simone Jordan scored 28 points, while Brittney Newcomb added 26 points as the Yakima Valley women’s basketball team defeated Clark 80-70 in the first round of the NWAACC Tournament on Saturday morning in the Toyota Center.

Yakima Valley made up for being outshot and outrebounded by forcing 34 Penguin turnovers and converting them into 35 points.

The Yaks meanwhile turned the ball over 18 times for 17 Clark points.

Yakima Valley (21-6) shot 25.7 percent in the first half and 36.1 percent for the game, while Clark shot at a 43.6 percent clip for the game.

“We had a very slow start,” coach Cody Butler said. “We just didn’t come out shooting all that well.”

Despite Jordan grabbing a game-high nine rebounds for Yakima Valley, the Penguins grabbed 47 rebounds to YVCC’s 33.

“We were a lot more mellow,” Butler said. “They (Clark) just came out more intense.”

Newcomb, who had five steals and five rebounds, was 7 of 19 from the field and 9 of 9 from the free throw line.

Jordan was 9 of 18 from the floor and 9 of 11 from the line.

Macy Mukensnabi scored 19 points to lead Clark; she also led the Penguins with eight rebounds.

The Yaks face second-ranked Lane today at 4 p.m.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Brittney Newcomb 7-19 9-9 26, Brewster 0-0 0-1 0, Cox 2-6 0-0 4, Swetzof 0-5 0-0 0, Kaylah Gonzales 2-4 4-5 10, Weaver 0-0 0-0 0, Lekson 1-6 0-0 2, Simone Jordan 9-18 9-11 28, Samantha Zapien 5-14 0-0 10. Totals 26-72 22-26 80.

CLARK — Davis 0-5 2-4 2, Clara Russel 5-8 0-0 12, Sorensen 1-2 1-1 3, Chelsea Dyson 4-12 6-6 15, Macy Mukensnabi 7-11 5-6 19, Scott 1-5 0-0 2, Deborah Simmers 6-12 4-4 17, Heller 0-0 0-0 0, Karvia 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-55 18-21 70.

Halftime — Clark 36, YVCC 31. 3-point goals — YVCC 6-17 (Newcomb 3-8, Swetzof 0-2, Gonzales 2-2, Lekson 0-2, Jordan 1-3), Clark 4-9 (Russell 2-2, Dyson 1-3, Mukensnabi 0-3, Simmers 1-1). Fouled out — Russell. Rebounds — YVCC 37 (Jordan 9), Clark 47 (Mukensnabi 8). Assists — YVCC 10 (Newcomb 3), Clark 13 (Dyson 13). Turnovers — YVCC 18, Clark 34. Total fouls — YVCC 19, Clark 19.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

YVCC opens with two victories

Reid Martinez went 5 for 8 for the day in leading Yakima Valley to a pair of victories Saturday in the season-opening Bill Faller Invitational baseball tournament at Parker Field.

Martinez had three hits, including a game-ending RBI double in the eighth inning of an 8-0 victory over Grays Harbor. He added two more hits in a 6-4 win over Green River later in the day.

YVCC, which plays Skagit Valley at noon today, has already qualified for the championship game, set for 5 p.m. The consolation game will be at 3 p.m.

Against Grays Harbor, starting pitcher Brett Druffel scattered seven hits in six shutout innings. Shawn Wardin had two hits and scored three runs, and Jake Fife went 2 for 2, including a two-run double, and scored twice.

J.R. Weigel went 3 for 4 with an RBI double and a run scored against Green River.

YVCC 8, GRAYS HARBOR 0

Grays Harbor 000 000 00 — 0 7 2
Yakima Valley 002 030 21 — 8 13 1

Dibble and Schleff; Druffel, Darling (7) and Smith.

YVCC highlights: Reid Martinez 3-4, 2b, RBI; Dyllon Smith 2-4, 2b; Shawn Wardin 2-3, 3b, 3 runs; Jake Fife 2-2, 2-run 2b, 2 runs; Brett Druffel 6 IP, 7 hits, 3 Ks.

YVCC 6, GREEN RIVER 4

Green River 001 000 3 — 4 6 6
Yakima Valley 020 112 x — 6 10 1

Keller, Whittu (5) and Collins; King, Vetsch (3), Eck (5), Schmit (7) and Chamberlin, Smith (5).

YVCC highlights: J.R. Weigel 3-4, 2b, RBI, run; Martinez 2-4; Cameron Padron 2b.

Saturday’s other scores

Skagit Valley 16, Green River 7

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

Grays Harbor vs. Green River, 9 a.m.

Yakima Valley vs. Skagit Valley, noon

Consolation game, 3 p.m.

Championship game, 5 p.m.

FASTPITCH

Central splits with St. Martin’s

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Liz Jusko hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday to help Central Washington salvage a fastpitch doubleheader split with Saint Martin’s.

Saint Martin’s won the first game 5-1, while CWU won the second 8-7.

Central Washington managed just five hits in the first game, with Jusko notching two of them.

Lacey McGladrey had a home run and two RBI for the Saints in the opener.

CWU’s Elena Carter accounted for Central’s lone run with a fourth inning home run.

In the second game, Central took a three-run lead in the second inning, before SMU (7-4-1, 5-1 GNAC) scored seven to take a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

Central (6-9, 5-5) scored three times on four hits in the fifth to cut the margin to 7-6, before Jusko’s game-winner in the seventh.

Saint Martin’s 5, Central Washington 1

Saint Martin’s 000 030 2 — 5 10 1
C. Washington 000 100 0 — 1 5 0

Munger and Pocklington; Gau, Smith (7) and Ellis.

CWU highlights: Liz Jusko 2-3; Elena Carter HR.

Central Washington 8, Saint Martin’s 7

Saint Martin’s 005 110 0 — 7 10 1
C. Washington 030 030 2 — 8 9 1

Bakos, Felton (2) and Pocklington, McGladrey (2); Kocik, Wells (5), Kocik (6) and Ellis.

CWU highlights: Jusko 1-2, HR, 2 RBI; Jordan Scherer 2-3, 2b, 2 RBI; Jordan Zurfluh 2b, 2 RBI, Carrina Wagner RBI, Ellis RBI.

Yaks earn split in Richland

RICHLAND, Wash. — Jessie Ihly helped the Yaks jump out to an early lead against Grays Harbor in the first game, as Yakima Valley beat the Chokers 9-2 but fell in the late game 8-5 to Mt. Hood Saturday at the NWAACC Preseason tournament.

Ihly hit a grand slam in the top of the first inning for Yakima Valley on the way to an 8-0 lead.

Ariel McKinley pitched a complete game for the Yaks, giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out four.

In the late game, Mt. Hood scored in every inning but the third before the game was called due to the time limit.

Yakima Valley scored four runs in the sixth as they tried to rally. Jessie Ihly went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and a RBI, and Krysta Beach had a double, two runs scored and a RBI.

The Yaks will play two games today, against Douglas at 9 a.m. and Shoreline at 1 p.m.

Yakima Valley 9, Grays Harbor 2

Yakima Valley 800 100 0 — 9 18 1
Grays Harbor 200 000 0 — 2 5 1

McKinley and Reeves; Bailey and DeMoss.

YVCC highlights: Arlene Futch 3-5, 2 runs; Ashley Reeves 3-5, run, RBI; Krysta Beach 3-4, run; Jessie Ihly 2-4, GS, run, 4 RBI; Kiley Dunn 3-4, 2b, run; Jenna Bice 2-4, run, RBI; Ariel McKinley 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 K.

Mt. Hood 8, Yakima Valley 5

Yakima Valley 000 104 — 5 9 2
Mt. Hood 220 112 — 8 10 0

Marbet, Slobig (5) and Reeves; Evincenzi, Abendschein (6) and McCarthy.

YVCC highlights: Courtney Cable 2-4, run; Krysta Beach 1-2, 2b, 2 runs, RBI; Jessie Ihly 2-3, 2 2b, run, RBI; Kiley Dunn 2-3, 2b, RBI.