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Neither of Columbia Basin College’s head basketball coaches are particularly pleased with their team’s records so far this season.

Cheryl Holden’s women, who won last season’s Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship, are 4-8 heading into East Region play at 2 p.m. today against visiting Walla Walla.

Last season’s tournament MVP, Katherine Samuels, left school. And the Hawks boast of only one sophomore — Connell’s KieOsha Avery-Winchester.

Holden, however, says things can be misleading.

“I don’t think our record indicates how much progress as a team we’ve made,” Holden said.

Indeed, the Hawks have lost two close games to North Idaho, currently ranked No. 1 among all junior colleges in the nation. They’ve also lost to Lane — the No. 1 team in the NWAACC — twice, and also twice to highly regarded Clackamas.

So a fourth-place finish in the East, which would garner CBC a return trip to the NWAACC tournament (set for March 2-5 at the Toyota Center), would please Holden.

Sierra Higheagle (Clarkston) has been impressive for CBC, being named to two all-tournament teams in the preseason. She leads the Hawks in scoring at 14.7 points a game.

“Defensively, one player has been real consistent across the board, and that’s Kelsey Yenney (Ephrata),” said Holden. “She’s now starting, because she does all of the little things.”

Meanwhile, CBC men’s coach Rolando Garcia is scouring the school’s Pasco campus, looking for basketball players to fill out a roster that opened camp with 15 players.

Academic casualties and injuries have pared that number to seven today as the Hawks open east Region play at 4 p.m. at home against Walla Walla (which is down to eight players itself).

“I’ve got who I’ve got,” said Garcia. “We may run out of gas. I don’t have enough firepower to compete (for the East Region title). But we’ve been averaging more points and more assists.”

Garcia told his coaches that he has six timeouts to use each game, and he’ll need them all to help his players be rested.

Jerid Ronquillo leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game. Christian Schrank (Grandview), who injured his shoulder a few weeks ago and hasn’t played since, is averaging 3.88 assists.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald