Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/272815
By Andre Byik sports@redbluffdailynews.com @TehamaSports on Twitter RED BLUFF » Finally, something went the Lady Spartans' way. Red Bluff High's girls bas- ketball team, which has been plagued by injuries the past five years, ended its regular sea- son no differently. In the Spar- tans' last six games of the sea- son, they tallied one win. Red Bluff's 6-foot-3 center Payten McKerras was out with an in- jury during their skid. The team then lost guards Chelsey Bush- nell and Katie Gallagher to an ACL injury and a concussion, respectively. Red Bluff (19-9) limped into the Northern Section CIF Di - vision III playoffs as the No. 3 seed, and it seemed as if the Spartans' quest to reach a sec- tion championship game would be quashed again. But the Spartans, Red Bluff coach Kathy Brandt said during a practice Wednesday, didn't fold when they could have. They didn't quit when their chances looked bleak. And now they will play in their first section title game in 21 years against top- seeded Enterprise at 6 p.m. Fri - day at Shasta College. Brandt said had the Spar- tans stayed healthy throughout the season, she would have ex- pected to be vying for a champi- onship. After suffering another year of injuries, she said she was "pleasantly surprised" that the team has made it this far. She credits the team's self - lessness for its success. A glance at Red Bluff's stats in its semifinal upset over No. 3 Shasta on Tuesday shows a team that wins by commit - tee. Six Spartans scored in the game, but none reached double figures. pREp GIRLS BASKETBALL Spartans overcome adversity, reach finals After injury-riddled end to season, Red Bluff finds new life in playoffs Courtesy photo by Larry Long red bluff high's abby brown (right) attempts a shot against shasta during a northern section CIF Division III semifinal basketball game tuesday at shasta high. red bluff defeated shasta, 41-38. Courtesy photo by Larry Long red bluff high's girls basketball team will face enterprise in a section championship game at 6 p.m. Friday at shasta College. The Associated Press MILWAUKEE » Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points and had six assists to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 116 -102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Rudy Gay added 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points, 10 rebounds and five as - sists for the Kings, who won their ninth road game after fin- ishing with an 8-33 record away from home last season. Sacramento opened its sea- son-high seven-game, 12-day road trip by shooting 52 per- cent (43 for 82) from the field. Brandon Knight finished with a team-high 25 points and six assists for Milwaukee, and Jeff Adrien added 15 points off the bench. The Bucks (12-48), who have the worst record in the NBA, were coming off their biggest win of the season, 114-88 over visiting Utah on Monday. Milwaukee was hoping to win consecutive games for the first time since last March 17 and 19, but the Bucks never led in the second half. nBA Thomas nets 25, lis Kings past Bucks Gay, Cousins also put up big numbers in Sacramento's road win to open long trip ap photo — JeFFrey pheLps the Milwaukee bucks' brandon Knight drives against the sacramento Kings' Isaiah thomas Wednesday in Milwaukee. KINGS 116, BUCKS 102 Up next: Kings at toronto rap- tors, 4 p.m. Friday, tV on Csn. THE SCORE Klay thompson and David Lee scored 18 points each and the golden state Warriors went a season-high 14 games over .500 with a 108-88 romp over the boston Celtics on Wednesday night. nBA RoUnDUp Thompson, Lee, li Warriors over Celtics FULL STORY ON PAGE B2 our new weather map fea- tures forecasts for the next five days, as well as an air quality index, river and lake levels, and a bit of weather trivia. WEAThER Rain today, gone tomorrow PAGE B8 on a night that gave a small group of ukrainian fans a chance to wave their flags and unite amid a political crisis back home, their national soc- cer team defeated the u.s. MEn'S SoccER Ukraine defeats U.S. 2-0 in exhibition match FULL STORY ON PAGE B2 parties overcome last sum- mer's irrigation shut-off to cattle ranches in the upper Klamath basin aer the Klam- ath tribes exercised newly awarded senior water rights to protect fish. KLAMATh RIvER BASIn Deal on Klamath Basin water in the offing FULL STORY ON PAGE B5 By Jeff Larson Paradise Post @jtlarson on Twitter pARADISE » Leslie Cameron has been one of the best at collecting steals in the Northern Section all year. The Paradise Adventist Acad - emy junior point guard saved per- haps her best defensive game for last, collecting three steals and four points in the latter half of the fourth quarter to help lead the Cougars back to within a basket of Mercy of Red Bluff. But Cameron and the second- seeded Cougars (20-7) couldn't quite get over the hump, falling to No. 3 Mercy 34-31 in the section's Division VI semifinals Tuesday night. Cameron, ranked second in the section in steals per game coming in, also had eight points — seven of which came in about a quarter and a half. The defensive menace had a number of chances to send the Cou - gars to their first championship game in the final seconds. Down GIRLS BASKETBALL Warriors edge PAA to reach title game Curl earns double-double in Mercy's semifinal win Staff Reports RED BLUFF » NorCal Hot Shots AAU girls basketball tryouts are set for Sunday at the field house at Red Bluff High School. Fifth-grad - ers try out from 2-2:30 p.m. Sixth- graders try out from 2:30-3 p.m. Seventh-grade tryouts follow from 3-3:30 p.m. Eighth-graders go from 3:30-4 p.m., and ninth- and 10th- graders try out from 4-4:30 p.m. For more information call Kathy Brandt at 354-4775 or email her at kandjbrandt@gmail.com. Running vISIToR cEnTER 5K RUnS » The Te- hama Country Visitor Center along with North Valley Services is host- ing a 5K run and relay at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam on Sale Lane on March 15. The first leg of the run is 1 mile and the second is 2.1 miles. Also included will be a 1-mile walk/run course. The cost is $20 per runner and registration forms can be found at the Tehama Country Visitor Center on Antelope Boulevard or at area Red Bluff gyms. Runners will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt, snacks and drinks. Call 529-0133 for more information. Golf 'FoRE BASEBALL' FUnDRAISER » The Red Bluff High School and Red Bluff Bulls American Legion base- ball programs will hold their inau- gural "Fore Baseball" golf tourna- ment and barbecue dinner March 22 at Wilcox Oaks Golf Club. The entry fee is $65 per golfer, or $50 for Wilcox club members. For those interested in just at - tending the dinner, the cost is $10. Proceeds benefit the baseball pro- grams. For more information call Ry- land Sanders at 526-2191 or J.B. Stacy at 526-8330. ARoUnD ToWn NorCal Hot Shot AAU hoops tryouts set for Sunday MERCY 34, PARADISE ADVENT. 31 Up next: nsCIF Division VI Final, Mercy vs. Westwood, 11 a.m. sat- urday at Chico state. THE SCORE MERcy » pAGE 2 SpARTAnS » pAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, March 6, 2014 » More at FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS anD TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1