x
Breaking News
More () »

Most memorable moments from Spokane area sports teams

It's that time of year when all our local sports teams seasons come to an end. That means it's a good time to reflect on all the memorable storylines we had.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Sadly, most of our local sports teams' seasons have come to an end.

It's a bummer that it's the slower part of the year for sports, but the teams brought us many spectacular moments. From record-setting seasons, to championship appearances or overcoming adversity, it was an amazing year in the world of sports. 

WASHINGTON STATE FOOTBALL

The WSU Cougs captured 11 wins in a season for the first time in program history.

Nobody is going to forget the mustached quarterback Gardner Minshew. He threw for 4,779 yards, which ranked second in the nation. He also had the second highest completion percentage in college football.

The Pac-12 offensive player of the year was the man, leading the Cougs to new heights. He was later drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Offensive lineman Andre Dillard was taken 22nd in the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

He's the only Cougs offensive lineman to be taken in the first round.

EASTERN WASHINGTON FOOTBALL

Eastern Washington football made it to the FCS  National Championship game for the first time since winning the whole thing in 2010.

While the team didn't capture the title, it was still a historic season.

There were individual FCS records set.

Kicker Roldan Alcobendas had the best perfect record of field goals, going 16 for 16. He beat the previous record of 15 for 15. 

The Eags also broke school records, such as rushing yards per carry.

The defense was tough as nails and the offense was explosive.

The team won 12 games for just the fifth time in school history.

WHITWORTH FOOTBALL

Whitworth football went undefeated in the regular season before losing in the second round of the NCAA D-III Tournament.

The team won 10 games in a season for just the second time in program history.

Wide receiver Garrett McKay broke the school record for career receiving yards with 3,100 by season's end.

GONZAGA MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gonzaga men's basketball was ranked number one several times in the AP Poll this season.

You had Rui Hachimura's game winner against Washington. Brandon Clarke broke the GU single season block record. Josh Perkins broke the Zags career assist record. 

The Bulldogs coasted in regular season conference play.

The team reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the fifth season in a row. Since the field was expanded to 64 teams and then 68, only Duke, North Carolina and Kansas have done that.  

The most special moment of the season came on senior night against BYU. The place was rocking and Geno Crandall had a nasty crossover before he scored.

Many fans are surely disappointed with how the season ended, but overall it was truly special.

GONZAGA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gonzaga women's basketball soared to its highest national ranking ever during this past season.

In the non-conference schedule they took down national powerhouse and seventh-ranked Stanford in the Kennel.  

But the most memorable part of this season was this team's resiliency when times were at their darkest.

The Bulldogs lost Laura Stockton and Jill Townsend for the rest of the season in the West Coast Conference Tournament. Then, head coach Lisa Fortier's brother died due to complications of muscular dystrophy.

But the team still showed its toughness, almost upsetting Oregon State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against all odds.

The ability to overcome so much and just focus on basketball in such little time was truly remarkable.

EASTERN WASHINGTON VS. IDAHO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Idaho beat Eastern Washington 75-74 with a prayer shot from Mikayla Ferenz.

At first it was ruled the Eags had won and that Idaho didn't get the shot off in time, but after review, the refs said it was good.

The Eags overcame a 9-point fourth quarter deficit, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion.

WHITWORTH MEN'S BASKETBALL

The departure of former Whitworth men's basketball head coach Matt Logie was big news.

He had a winning percentage of .847 with the Pirates. That's the best percentage among all active NCAA coaches in any division.

SPOKANE CHIEFS

What a season for the Chiefs as the squad made it the the Western Hockey League Western Conference finals.

It was the team's deepest postseason run since 2011.

Nobody thought the Chiefs would knock out Everett in the second round, but that's exactly what they did.

The team provided a run fans won't soon forget.

To top it all off, Ty Smith was named Canadian Hockey League Defenceman of the Year just this past weekend. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out