KENNEWICK -- Saving their best game for their last game, Yakima Valley's women claimed fourth place in the NWAACC Tournament on Sunday by beating Centralia 84-66 in the Toyota Center.
The victory ran the Yaks' record to 26-6 and completed their third straight top-six tournament finish. They were third last season and sixth in 2006.
"I really think we played our best game of the year today," coach Cody Butler said. "They played well -- they were right with us until late, then we just went on a tear. Great game, great way to end the season."
Alex Moore-Porter came off the bench for a career-high 32 points. Sophomores Tana Stickney and Andrea Blodgett capped their YVCC careers with 23 and 11 points, respectively.
"Blodgett had a great tournament and Tana really finished strong," said Butler of the White Swan graduate who earned second-team all-tournament recognition. "This was probably her best game of the year."
Stickney was 9-for-12 from the field, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range.
Blodgett had six assists and Moore-Porter had a game-high 13 rebounds.
Centralia was within 63-58 with 10:12 to play, but Moore-Porter hit a bucket, Kylie Shaw followed with back-to-back 3-pointers and Moore-Porter scored again to put the Yaks up 73-58 with 5:55 left. YVCC's lead stayed in double digits from there.
"All our sophomores (Blodgett, Stickney and Taitum Dixey) played well and they had a great two years here," Butler said, noting that YVCC went 55-10 during their tenures.
Yakima Valley's victory was another feather in the cap of the Eastern Region, which claimed first (Columbia Basin), second (Spokane), fourth (YVCC) and sixth (Walla Walla) in the tournament.
"That's got to help our recruiting," Butler said, "because if you're a good high school player, you should want to play against good competition. It should be good for all of us."
Amanda Atcheson, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, led the Trailblazers with 27 points.
YAKIMA VALLEY -- Moore-Porter 11-22 7-7 32, Baker 0-2 0-0 0, Weaver 1-3 0-0 0, Harris 0-4 2-2 2, Woodke 1-2 0-0 2, Blodgett 5-13 0-0 11, Gonzales 0-0 0-0 0, Nill 0-3 0-0 0, Stickney 9-12 0-0 23, Dixey 1-1 1-4 3, Shaw 3-4 0-0 8. Totals 31-66 10-13 84.
CENTRALIA -- Allen 0-5 1-2 1, Peabody 0-5 4-4 4, Gaul 1-3 1-2 3, Matisons 2-6 0-0 5, McFadden 2-4 2-4 7, Atcheson 10-21 7-8 27, Kofstad 3-6 2-2 9, Morrison 0-0 0-0 0, Riffe 4-8 2-3 10. Totals 22-58 19-25 66.
Halftime -- Yakima Valley 45, Centralia 38. 3-point goals -- Yakima Valley 12-28 (Stickney 5-6, Moore-Porter 3-7, Shaw 2-3, Weaver 1-3, Harris 0-1, Nill 0-1), Centralia 3-11 (McFadden 1-1, Kofstad 1-1, Matisons 1-3, Gaul 0-1, Peabody 0-2, Allen 0-3). Fouled out -- none. Rebounds -- Yakima Valley 39 (Moore-Porter 13, Stickney 6), Centralia 41 (Peabody 6, Atcheson 6, Riffe 6). Assists -- Yakima Valley 17 (Blodgett 6), Centralia 13 (McFadden 4). Total fouls -- Yakima Valley 23, Centralia 15. Steals -- Yakima Valley 10 (Harris 3), Centralia 4. Blocked shots -- Yakima Valley 0, Centralia 3. Turnovers -- Yakima Valley 16, Centralia 21.