The fifth-ranked Western Doves had a simple goal yesterday against Walbrook: Secure their second consecutive trip to the Class 4A North region final.

The Warriors had the misfortune of being in the way.

With a charring explosion of offense in the second quarter, Western overwhelmed No. 14 Walbrook, 73-42, to move within one game of its second appearance in the state semifinals in three seasons.

"We beat them twice during the regular season, so we just had to come out and take care of business," said Western senior Latia Few, who led all scorers with 19 points.

Few was at the center of the Doves' decisive 19-2 run that started late in the first quarter and didn't end until Western led 29-11 with 4: 37 left before halftime.

Few got things started with a free throw, and her two three-pointers pushed the Doves' lead to 17-8 entering the second quarter. After three straight baskets by Lillian Drumgold (13 points), Few hit two more three-pointers as Western led 43-17 at intermission.

"As one of our seniors, Latia knows she has to step up," said Western coach Artie Uhlich. "She's pumped up and knows what every game means at this point of the season."

Walbrook never got into the flow of the game and looked nothing like the team that lost to Western by only 10 points earlier.

The Warriors (15-7) missed nine of their first 10 shots and allowed several easy baskets in transition as Western began to pull away. Foremost, Jimea Barner and Dena McGriff, Walbrook's top two scorers, combined for just 17 points, with most coming long after the game was decided.

"Without them, there was nothing we could do," said Walbrook coach Vanessa Marion, whose team lost by 24 points to Western for the city championship two weeks ago. "We just couldn't score. We missed a lot of easy shots that would have kept us in the game early."

Things didn't get any better for Walbrook in the second half.

The Warriors failed to score during the opening four minutes of the third period, and their deficit was 53-17 after a bank shot by the Doves' Drumgold with 4: 25 left.

Western hopes it's just beginning. For the third consecutive playoff game, the Doves had at least nine players score.

Pub Date: 3/05/99