[ t o u r n e y t o w n . c o m -- Chewelah 63, Cashmere 52]

Cashmere -- Brandeberry 3-8 2-2 8, Davis 1-3 0-0 2, Ovenell 0-2 0-0 0, Thibault 3-12 5-6 12, Miller 3-4 0-0 7, Boyle 0-0 2-3 2, Martin 0-0 1-3 1, Cloakey 2-7 0-2 4, Whitehall 3-5 2-2 8, Fitzpatrick 0-0 0-0 0, Fletcher 1-8 6-8 8, Rankin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-49 18-26 52.

Chewelah -- Feist 3-10 8-10 16, Herda 0-0 0-0 0, Harting 0-0 0-0 0, Peaker 0-1 5-6 5, Belzer 6-14 5-6 18, Wood 0-1 0-0 0, C. Hagen 3-8 1-2 7, Burkey 2-2 1-2 5, M. Hagen 1-7 0-0 3, Scates 0-0 1-2 1, Hoots 0-0 0-0 0, Curry 4-11 0-0 8. Totals 19-54 21-28 63.

Cashmere

Chewelah

3-point goals--Ca 2-9 (Miller 1-1, Thibault 1-4, Brandeberry 0-2, Cloakey 0-2), Ch 4-16 (Feist 2-5, Belzer 1-3, Hagen 1-6). Rebounds--Ca 28 (Fletcher 13), Ch 39 (Curry 12, Belzer 10). Assists--Ca 10 (Thibault 3), Ch 7 (Belzer 2, Curry 2). Steals--Ca 12 (Thibault 6), Ch 10 (Feist 3, Belzer 3). Blocked shots--Ca 5 (Fletcher 3), Ch 2. Fouled out--Whitehall. Total fouls--Ca 22, Ch 18. Technical fouls--None. Turnovers--Ca 18, Ch 12.

By MICHAEL ANDERSON
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Andy Belzer and Ryan Feist had 34 points between them and Chewelah’s Cougars held off the relentless Cashmere Bulldogs, 63-52, for third place in the Class 2A state basketball tournament at the SunDome on Saturday night.

Belzer had 18 and 10 rebounds and Feist had 16 points for Chewelah. Curtis Thibault led Cashmere with 12 points.

For the Cougars, the third-place trophy is the second-best basketball finish in school history. The school won the 2001 2A state title.

For Cashmere, the sixth-place finish is the worst in any classification since 1926 in a year in which the Bulldogs reached the semifinals. The school won titles in 1972, 75, 77, 80, 86 and 95, and was second three other times.

Chewelah moved out to double-digit leads three different times, but Cashmere seemed to always have the answer until the final minutes.

Chewelah shot out to a 23-14 lead in the second period thanks to a 7-0 run after Cashmere had tied the game on baskets by Evan Whitehall and Mac Ovenell. The Cougars shut Cashmere out for a stretch of 4:24 while building the lead.

Marcus Miller had two baskets to bring the Bulldogs back to within five, but Ryan Feist hit his second long 3-pointer of the half right behind a lay-in by Bryce Curry for a 28-18 Chewelah lead. Ovenell hit a 3-pointer for Cashmere but Adam Peaker closed the half out with four free throws for a 33-21 Chewelah halftime lead.

Cashmere started chipping away at the lead in the middle of the third period, cutting it to six on a pair of free throws by Kent Fletcher after Ryan Cloakey and Ejay Davis hit lay-ups 19 seconds apart.

Chewelah reeled off seven straight points to open the lead back up to 45-32 before Cashmere made one final run.

The Bulldogs got seven points from Thibault and outscored the Cougars 14-6 over a stretch of 5:24 to cut the deficit to five, 51-46, with 3:26 remaining.

But Cashmere had nothing left and Chewelah was back in front by 10 just 1:26 later.

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