BASKETBALL: Bison fight through injuries

SPOKANE - DJ Fish continued his excellent play but SKC suffered

injuries to three players and that affected them in their

appearance at the Spokane Community College and North Idaho College

Tournament last weekend.

SPOKANE - DJ Fish continued his excellent play but SKC suffered injuries to three players and that affected them in their appearance at the Spokane Community College and North Idaho College Tournament last weekend.

The Bison saw their veteran point guard Dennis Sangrey go down with a fractured foot in their tournament opening game against Yakima Valley.

"They had a group if guards and they kept attacking the basket," SKC head coach Zachary Conko-Camel said. "They were a really aggressive press team."

Yakima Valley would post a 100-67 victory, after scoring 51 points in the second half of the game. Fish posted a double double for the Bison, scoring 36 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

"Other teams have to put a big on him when he has the ball and he can break down the big," Camel said. "He's just a nightmare for a defender."

Sonny Eppinette also posted nine points and nine rebounds in the matchup. The Bison as a team hit six three-pointers in the game, a number that Camel would like to go up.

"We have to hit at least 10 threes in those games," Camel said. "We also need to get 15 assists, which we have been doing."

In their second game of the tournament, they faced off against Green River Community College and posted a better performance. Three different players scored in double digits and SKC only trailed 40-30 at halftime, but Green River was able to pull away in the second half for the 92-67 victory. Fish led the team with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Eppinette added 14 points and six rebounds.

Point guard DJ Kemmer also had 10 points in the game and hit three three-pointers.

"Sonny did a really good job, with seven players he was in for a lot of minutes," Camel said.

It was Fish's fifth straight double-double.

"DJ has definitely come into his own," Camel said. "He's really blossomed."

SKC out-rebounded Green River 38-37.

"This was a game we could have won if we were at full strength," Camel said. "We were just short on guards."

James Bible pulled his calf muscle and Jay Ferris dislocated his knee meaning that the Bison were playing with just seven players on the travel squad.

"We've got five more games to go [until Christmas break] and we can't afford any more injuries," Camel said. "We're going to have to have some other players step up."

He added that the team has been practicing this week to break the press, which would be normal for point guards but the Bison have had so many injuries in that area.

Camel said he was also impressed with the play of Trent Ashley this weekend, who scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds over the weekend despite not having high school basketball experience.

"Trent just keeps impressing," he said. "He's playing against guys that have played basketball all their life and get a scholarship to do it. Just his competitiveness steps up and he gets it done for us."

SKC will play two games against Great Falls JV team this weekend and then Salt Lake Community College on the road next Wednesday.

SKC VS YAKIMA

Yakima - 49 - 51 - 100

SKC - 34 - 33 - 67

Bison scoring - DJ Fish 36, Sonny Eppinette 9, Logan Lee 5, Trent Ashley 4, Jayson Ferris 3, Dennis Sangrey 3, DJ Kemmer 3, Kevin Wal 2, Josh Finn 2

SKC VS GREEN R.

SKC - 30 - 37 - 67

GRCC - 40 - 52 - 92

Bison scoring - Isaac Wal 3, Sonny Eppinette 14, Kevin Wroblewski 3, Trent Ashley 6, Josh Finn 2, DJ Kemmer 10, DJ Fish 27, Logan Lee 2