Two weeks remain in the regular season and the Greater Columbia B League's Klickitat County Division title is still up for grabs.
Klickitat holds a game-and-a-half lead over Lyle. The Vandals have three games left, the Cougars four.
The two meet next Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Klickitat, in a game that could decide the division championship and which team gets the top seed in the upcoming Yakima Valley District 5 Class B tournament.
Mabton 41, at Lyle 34 --
The Cougars cut an 11-point halftime deficit to two with two minutes remaining last Saturday but missed their last four shot attempts.
Cougars Coach Verlyn Smith pointed to the second quarter, in which Lyle was outscored, 10-2, as the difference in the game.
"Nothing was falling for us, not even free throws," he noted. Lyle had no baskets in the second quarter and made just 2-of-8 free throws (6 of 16 for the night).
But Lyle rallied in the second half behind the scoring of seniors Mitzi McMurrin, Dawn Ullom and Christina Grace, and junior Tara Rappe.
McMurrin and Ullom scored with eight points each, while Rappe put in six and Grace netted five. Senior Kristin Brown chipped in seven, five in the first half, when Lyle fell behind, 21-10.
Ullom led Lyle with nine rebounds, while Rappe had six boards and four assists, and Grace tallied seven rebounds and four steals.
At Yakama Tribal 52, Glenwood 27 --
The Eagles were outscored, 19-0, in the opening quarter and scored just five points in the first half of their Jan. 31 road defeat.
Freshman Ashley Brasuell heated up in the second half, however, netting 11 of her team-high 13 points to help Glenwood outscore Tribal, 22-20.
La Salle 64, at Klickitat 39 --
The Vandals had 41 turnovers and shot just 32 percent from the floor in losing to the Lightning last Saturday.
Klickitat didn't have a player in double figures while La Salle had three.
Senior Kaeley Schultz paced the Vandals with nine points, four rebounds and two steals. Classmate Danielle Curtis added eight points on 4-of-8 shooting and seven boards.
At Riverside Christian 63, Trout Lake 20 --
The Crusaders took control on the Jan. 31 contest with a big first half in which they outscored the Mustangs, 32-8.
Senior Rachel Anderson scored eight points and freshman Kim Poland netted six for Trout Lake, which remained winless in GCB play.
At Sunnyside Christian 64, Glenwood 7 --
The Eagles ran into a whitehot team last Friday, becoming the just latest victim to fall on the surging Knights' sword.
Sunnyside laid it on in the first quarter, streaking to a 31-0 lead. The score at halftime was 37-1.
Glenwood's lone point of the first half came from freshman Melissalyn DeLuna.
The Eagles got four points from freshman Ashley Brasuell and two from junior Dora Starr in the second half.
Klickitat 42, at Bickleton 35 --
The Vandals made a 19-8 halftime lead stand up Jan. 30.
Senior Danielle Curtis led the way for Klickitat with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Kaeley Schultz chipped in six and seven, respectively.
Bickleton made a strong run in the final period to cut a 29-17 third-quarter deficit nearly in half.
Junior Annie Hess finished with a game-high 22 points for the Pirates in becoming a the newest member of the BHS girls program's 1,000 career points club.
At Lyle 53, Trout Lake 24 --
The Cougars showed great balance at the offensive end as they steadily pulled away from the Mustangs in GCB action last Friday.
Point guard Tara Rappe "had an exceptional night," according to Cougars Coach Verlyn Smith.
The junior led her team with 11 points, but helped spread the offense around by passing for six assists. She also had seven rebounds and five steals.
Senior Kristin Brown netted two of Lyle's five 3-pointers and finished with 10 points and four steals. Senior Dawn Ullom chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds
Their classmate, Christina Lucas, and Rappe were the ones who buoyed the team through a sluggish first half, however.
Rappe scored eight of her point total in the first two quarters and Grace put in seven of her nine.
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