The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT June 4, 2011

While the height advantage should have been enough to lift the Region team past their Metro counterparts from the Greater Spokane League on Wednesday night, that definitely failed to happen on the court at Lake City High.

Between a mix of Division 1 talent and an aggressive game plan, whatever an all-star game was supposed to look like didn't finish that way.

IN THE 18 years of the Jack Blair Memorial Girls All-Star Basketball Classic, the Region team, which is made up of players from North Idaho and elsewhere in eastern Washington, only won the game once.

This time around, the game had indications of a Region win, sporting players such as Carli Rosenthal of Coeur d'Alene High and Cassie Thompson of Timberlake taking their talents to Saint Mary's College and the University of Portland, respectively. Shelby Cheslek (Pullman) and Shaniqua Nilles (West Valley), who also played on the Region team, will move on to Gonzaga.

Players from the Metro weren't too bad either as Tia Presley of Gonzaga Prep was named the game MVP after scoring 23 points. The Washington State-bound player showed why she finished as the Greater Spokane League's all-time leading scorer, hitting a shot whenever her team needed it during the second half.

But the key of the game was that the Metro team had a plan for the game. From running the court when a situation presented itself to playing aggressive defense when the game mattered, it was a slugfest that you don't normally see in an all-star game.

Players battling for rebounds, getting on the floor for the basketball, it seemed more like a state championship game than an exhibition between some of the best players from the area.

THE BIGGEST difference between the two teams wasn't size, because the Region had the Metro beat there, or playing experience, because even those sophomores that played for the Region team had played in two state tournaments.

What caught the Region off guard was the aggressive nature of the game.

Basketball is a physical sport, but this was also an all-star game, meant to showcase the talents of all involved.

Fans usually want to see points by the truckload in games such as this, with as much offense as can be scored.

Wednesday’s game, while not lacking for entertaining moments and great plays, was better suited for mid-November instead of the end of the school year.

One team showed up to play the other night with enthusiasm and determination, seen in a regular season game. The other treated it as such, a chance to laugh and enjoy themselves.

It appeared both teams won.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].