Northwest Notes: Saturday, July 4, 2015

Galdeira to forego final season at WSU, turn pro

PULLMAN - Washington State women's basketball player Lia Galdeira has decided to forego her final season of eligibility and pursue professional opportunities in Europe, it was announced Friday. Galdeira has signed a contract with sports agent Elmirea Draskicevic and will begin her professional career this fall.

"I have made the decision to pursue my lifelong dream and play professionally, this year in Europe and then in the WNBA," Galdeira said.

Galdeira led the Cougars to their second straight postseason appearance last season as she averaged 20.0 ppg, second in the Pac-12 Conference and 25th nationally. She led the Pac-12 and tied for fifth in the country with 105 steals, second-most in WSU single-season history, while also recording 6.1 rpg and a team-best 83 assists en route to her second-straight All-Pac-12 first team selection.

"Lia has made the decision after much contemplation to pursue her professional basketball career overseas," WSU coach June Daugherty said. "She has had a record-setting and great career as a member of the Cougar women's basketball family and now feels it is time to take her talents to the next level."

In her three seasons in a Cougar uniform, Galdeira ranks second in career scoring (1,710 points), three-point field goals made (160), field goals made (621) and steals (271), first in three-point field goal attempts (576) and total field goals attempts (1,645), fourth in free throws made (308) and fifth in free throws attempted (432). She was a three-time All-Pac-12 player and a three-time All-Pac-12 defensive team honoree.

Chiefs' Yamamoto chosen for Team USA U18 squad

The Spokane Chiefs, in concurrence with USA Hockey, announced forward Kailer Yamamoto has been chosen for the 2015 U.S. Under-18 select team that will compete Aug. 10-15 at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.

A 17-year-old, 5-foot-8 forward from Spokane, Yamamoto scored 23 goals and 34 assists for 57 points with the Chiefs last season, marking the third-most points scored by a 16-year-old in franchise history. He added two goals and three assists in six playoff games and was named the 2014-15 WHL Western Conference Rookie of the Year.

Yamamoto, a Mead High student, is one of 22 players chosen for the U-18 team and one of 10 chosen players who also helped the U.S. under-17 select team finish second at the 2014 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament held last year in Germany.

The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is an annual event held each August for national under-18 teams from around the world. The event will include teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The U.S. finished third in 2014.

BSU men's basketball team to host Oregon in December

BOISE - Boise State's men's basketball team will host Oregon on Dec. 12 at Taco Bell Arena to start a three-game series.

The Broncos will visit the Ducks each of the following two seasons. It will be just the second time Boise State hosts Oregon in men's basketball, the first coming in 1996.

The Broncos and Ducks both reached the NCAA Tournament last season. Oregon lost to eventual national runner-up Wisconsin in the round of 32; Boise State lost at Dayton in the play-in round.

Boise State last met Oregon in the 2011 College Basketball Invitational semifinals, during Bronco coach Leon Rice's first season. Oregon won 79-71, going on to capture the CBI crown.

The Ducks own a 5-0 advantage in the all-time series, which dates to 1975. The only previous meeting at Taco Bell Arena was a 61-58 Oregon victory Dec. 19, 1996.

The last time Boise State hosted a member of the former Pacific-10 Conference was Nov. 13, 2007, against No. 9 Washington State. The Broncos now have two Pac-12 teams on the schedule for 2015-16, with a road game at Arizona slated for Nov. 19. The Broncos could also face Arizona again during the DirecTV Wooden Legacy.

Wells joins Cougar baseball coaching staff

PULLMAN - Washington State baseball coach Marty Lees has completed his coaching staff, adding Braden Wells as a volunteer coach.

Wells, played for Lees at Oregon State from 2007-08 as an outfielder, helping the Beavers win the 2007 national championship. Wells appeared in 88 games in his two seasons at OSU, hitting .277 with four doubles and 11 stolen bases as a junior. The Glendale, Ariz. native began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant for Oregon State in 2009 before joining the Grand Canyon University coaching staff as a graduate assistant for two seasons (2011-12). Wells has spent the past three seasons as a graduate assistant at Concordia University (Ore.).

Prior to playing at Oregon State, Wells played two seasons at Dixie State Junior College in St. George, Utah. He was a 32nd-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels as a freshman and earned All-Region first team honors as a sophomore after electing to return to school. Wells prepped at Brophy Prep High School in Glendale, Ariz.