YAKIMA -- Perhaps the only play that can approach a 3-point field goal in terms of deflating the opposition is a steal and breakaway layup. And the only thing more damaging than one such play is two, especially back to back.

"Yeah," said a smiling Kaiti Harris, whose successive coast-to-coast baskets off steals had highlighted a decisive 12-0 run in third-ranked Yakima Valley's 80-72 defeat of Spokane on Saturday in Sherar Gym. "We're always taught to anticipate where the ball is going. Besides, that's the way I've always played."

There were no such momentum-turning events in the men's game, and Yakima Valley could have used some.

Victims of a 24-2 second-half Sasquatch surge, the No. 3 Yaks fell 72-65 in a duel of the Eastern Region's only 2-0 teams.

YVCC's women, then, got the 3-0 region start the men didn't, and maintained their first-place tie with Columbia Basin. They're 12-5 overall while the men slipped to 13-4.

Spokane's men improved to 11-3. The Sasquatch women fell to 1-2 and 7-8.

"We played great," said Yakima Valley women's assistant Kelly Robbins, who ran the team while head coach Cody Butler was in Idaho for his grandfather's funeral. "This is what we've been looking for."

Specifically, Robbins cited offensive execution as an area of marked improvement, one which translated into 46 percent field goal shooting (32 for 70, including 6 of 14 from 3-point range).

Spokane, however, offset some of its 25 turnovers and 45-39 rebounding deficit by connecting on 10 of 26 shots from long distance. And with 14:06 to play a 3-ball by Kaytee Clough reduced what had been a 10-point first-half Yaks lead to 47-46.

But YVCC's Lexi Belcher responded with her own long ball, after which Harris twice fleeced the Sasquatch and converted the ensuing layups.

Kylie Shaw then scored inside, and Brittany Weaver capped the burst with another 3-pointer and a 59-46 Yaks lead.

Yakima Valley's biggest advantage was 74-58 at 4:20, after which Spokane scored 10 unanswered points. YVCC then sealed it by making 6 of 8 free throws over the final 45 seconds.

Ashley Swetzof and Kaitlin McBride led Yakima Valley with 16 points each. Harris was one of three Yaks with eight points, and also had four steals.

The Yaks men, meanwhile, missed two one-and-ones in the early stages of their second-half swoon, during which they went 5:38 without scoring.

By the time Dennis Wilson ended the drought with 3:50 left, what had been a 51-38 YVCC lead had become a 62-55 deficit.

"We weren't getting the calls we expected on a few plays, and we didn't respond in the proper fashion," Yaks coach Ray Funk said. "We didn't go to the cup strong, and tried a lot of dipsy-do stuff that didn't work. We also took some ill-advised shots, and then we had foul trouble."

Especially to starting center LeMar Anglin, who played only 8:23 before fouling out. His backup, Mario Allen, was similarly disqualified.

In their absence, 6-foot-5 Spokane freshman Griffon Jones scored 22 of his game-high 24 points in the second half. He rolled up 14 straight Sasquatch points and, from the 8:50 mark to 0:50, accounted for 20 of Spokane's 24.

Rico Wilkins and Nico Sandoval were Yakima Valley's top scorers with 19 and 10 points, respectively.

YVCC, which managed just 31 second-half points, played its first region game with Allen, D.J. Whitsett and Gerald Thornton available after the players had been suspended for violation of team rules. Skyler Gillispie, however, missed the game with an ankle problem.

Yakima Valley will continue region play at Walla Walla on Wednesday night and will host Columbia Basin the following Saturday.

YAKIMA VALLEY WOMEN 80, SPOKANE 72

SPOKANE -- Arellano 2-11 4-4 9, Hull 1-3 4-4 6, Kelsey Stillar 6-20 1-1 16, Eisenmann 0-3 1-4 1, Daily 3-6 2-4 8, Raines 1-2 0-0 3, Bullock 0-1 0-0 0, Kami Clark 3-7 4-4 12, Clough 2-2 0-0 5, Andrea DePaolo 3-4 4-4 12. Totals 21-59 20-25 72.

YAKIMA VALLEY -- Ashley Swetzof 6-10 3-5 16, Kaitlin McBride 7-13 1-2 16, DeRosier 1-6 4-6 6, Shaw 3-7 2-6 8, Harris 4-6 0-0 8, Fulton 0-0 0-0 0, Weaver 2-6 0-0 5, Gough 0-1 0-0 0, Urquhart 0-0 0-0 0, Chelsey Nill 4-13 0-0 10, Belcher 1-1 0-0 3, Fenumiai 4-7 0-0 8. Totals 32-70 10-19 80.

Halftime -- YVCC 38, Spo 35. 3-point goals -- Spo 10-26 (Raines 1-1, Arellano 1-4, Clark 2-5, Clough 1-1, Hull 0-2, DePaolo 2-3, Stillar 3-10); YVCC 6-14 (Swetzof 1-2, Weaver 1-4, Gough 0-1, McBride 1-1, DeRosier 0-1, Nill 2-4, Belcher 1-1). Fouled out -- None. Rebounds -- Spo 39 (Hull 5); YVCC 45 (Swetzof 7, Shaw 6). Assists -- Spo 2, YVCC 10 (Weaver 6). Turnovers -- Spo 25, YVCC 16. Total fouls -- Spo 15, YVCC 19.

SPOKANE MEN 72, YAKIMA VALLEY 65

SPOKANE -- Gianukakis 2-5 1-2 7, Kevin Cameron 3-5 3-4 10, Clift 0-4 2-2 2, Johnson 1-9 2-3 4, Damal Neil 3-9 4-4 10, Pynch 0-1 0-0 0, Brendan Ingebritsen 5-13 5-6 15, Griffon Jones 10-13 4-6 24, Bond 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-59 21-27 72.

YAKIMA VALLEY -- Rico Wilkins 9-20 0-0 19, Johnson 4-9 1-2 9, B. Wilson 1-6 0-1 2, Nico Sandoval 4-11 1-2 10, Anglin 2-4 4-5 8, D. Wilson 2-6 2-2 7, Allen 1-4 0-0 2, Holliday 3-6 0-1 7, Spellman 0-1 1-2 1, Whitsett 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-68 9-15 65.

Halftime -- YVCC 34, Spo 30. 3-point goals: Spo 3-15 (Gianukakis 2-3, Cameron 1-3, Pynch 0-1, Ingebritsen 0-2, Clift 0-1, Johnson 0-5); YVCC 4-10 (B. Wilson 1-2, Wilkins 1-5, Johnson 0-1, Holliday 1-1, Sandoval 1-1). Fouled out -- Allen, Anglin. Rebounds -- Spo 52 (Gianukakis 9, Neil 7); YVCC 35 (Johnson 9). Assists -- Spo 1, YVCC 5 (Wilkins 2, Sandoval 2). Turnovers -- Spo 17, YVCC 14. Total fouls -- Spo 15, YVCC 23.