Lady Hawks fall to talented Reardan team, resume play Dec. 26

It may be that the Reardan Indians are the best team the Cheney High girls basketball squad will see this season.

The defending 2B state champions were too disciplined, too skilled on both sides of the ball and in the end too much for the Lady Hawks last Friday night, holding Cheney to single digit scoring in three of the four quarters en route to a 59-33 win. The Indians took a 17-8 lead after one quarter, and stretched that to 24-8 before Cheney sophomore post Coreen Labish hit a 3-pointer with 2:50 to go before the half.

Labish’s short jumper and a steal and lay in by Kendyl Cone pulled the Lady Hawks to within 11 at 28-17 43 seconds into the third quarter, but after a timeout the Indians regained the momentum. Labish scored seven of her team-high 19 points in the quarter, including another 3 that pulled Cheney to within 34-22 with 3:57 to go, but Reardan responded with a 10-point run to essentially put the game away.

It was the second setback for the Lady Hawks last week, which fell behind big and couldn’t quite complete the rally in a 54-50 loss at Northeast A Lakeside Wednesday. After falling behind by 10 at the end of the first quarter, Cheney rallied to pull within five at the half, but a cold shooting third helped give the Rams a 45-32 advantage heading into the fourth. In the final eight minutes the Lady Hawks battled, outscoring Lakeside 18-7 to pull within two with 30 seconds left, but couldn’t come all the way back as the Rams sealed the win with a pair of free throws.

Chae Brown led Cheney with 20 points, while Labish tossed in 12 and Sami Sheffels added 8. Cheney was 19 for 46 shooting from the field and 10 of 15 from the line. Labish, Brown and Cone each had six rebounds while Sheffels had five, and the Lady Hawks committed 20 turnovers.

Cheney falls to 1-4 in non-league play. The Lady Hawks have a couple opportunities to get back on the winning path before Great Northern League action begins in January by facing a Lady Hawks alumni team Wednesday (Dec. 26), and hosting Northeast A Riverside, 6-2, Friday.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.