SOMETIMES YOUR A COACH, SOMETIMES YOUR A PLAYER??

The good news is that the Sun Kings are currently 31-1. The bad news? You can't keep up those kind of numbers without eventually having injuries. Kipp's team was down 4 players as of game day, leaving them to act on the best option to win last night. Kipp signed a contract and suited up for the game. After all, he was familiar with all of the plays and players. Of course since it's been 4 years since he last played, I had to sit through the jokes "Should we have a stretcher waiting?" "Is there an oxygen tank in the building?" I was glad to see my husband prove them wrong. His court time was short...but effective. They won again.

CBA -- Short-handed Yakama edges Butte
By DAVE THOMAS
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Considering the last-minute roster shuffling the Yakama Sun Kings had to make Thursday, maybe their struggles on the court could be excused.

Then again, Yakama still suited up six players from opening night and were playing a Butte Daredevils team that used the same five players for the final 43 minutes.

What it all added up to was another victory, albeit an unsatisfying one, over the Daredevils.

Yakama got a second straight triple-double from Moochie Norris, but that was offset by an inconsistent offensive night as the Sun Kings held on for a 110-105 victory, their 17th straight.

However, Yakama lost each of the final three quarters -- all by a point despite having the final possession in each -- and had to settle for a 4-3 quarter points victory.

"When you play the same team three straight times, it's tough," said Norris, who had 24 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. "It's a situation where you'll take a win any way you can get it."

Yakama, already missing Elvin Mims and Ray Weathers, were without Anthony Washington, hurt in Tuesday's victory, and Tim Ellis (illness) on Thursday. To bolster its ranks, the team signed forward Jamaal Williams, who arrived 1 1/2 hours before tipoff, and assistant coach Kipp Christianson, who hadn't played in a competitive game since the summer of 2004.

Christianson only saw limited action in the second quarter, while Williams gave Yakama 10 third-quarter points, although he missed a fadeaway jumper in the closing seconds that would have given the Sun Kings the third quarter point.

"You can use that (the roster moves) as an excuse, but I didn't like our effort," coach Paul Woolpert said. "To beat a team by 36 points and then by 27 (on Monday and Tuesday) and then to give away these last three quarters (tonight) is troubling to me. This is a hollow victory."

What bothered Woolpert the most was Yakama's offensive effort.

Yakama entered the game shooting a league-best 53-percent from the field for the season.

Thursday, the Sun Kings didn't come close to matching that number in either half, and wound up at 45 percent for the game (43 of 96).

Yakama did finish with 27 assists, but only 12 came the seven players not named Norris.

"That's the first time I've seen selfishness sneak into our game," Woolpert said. "I'm not going to put up with selfish play on this basketball team.

"Our shot selection was horrendous. I don't know why, but I saw some pretty pathetic efforts out there."

Jason Sasser added 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Desmond Ferguson had 21 points and eight rebounds, but Butte was able to match Yakama's big three with its own trio of Odell Bradley (25 points, 11 rebounds), Martane Freeman (24 and 12), and Lemarr Farr (22 and 9), with Glenn Eddy adding 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Although Butte never led and the game was never tied, the Daredevils hung around to the end, thanks in large part by shooting 56 percent in the second half (19 of 34) and outscoring Yakama 27 to 19 from the foul line for the game.

Norris finally sealed the win by hitting two free throws with 13 seconds left, but his layin attempt in the closing seconds to win the quarter rolled around the rim and out.

"We better play a heckuva lot better at Oklahoma if we plan on competing," Woolpert said of Yakama's next game, on Saturday.