Hoquiam played its second game in two days while Willapa Valley and Ocosta won league openers as we review Friday’s Twin Harbors girls prep basketball games.
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GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
Toutle Lake 37, Hoquiam 29
Playing in its second game in as many days, Hoquiam ran out of steam in a 37-29 loss to Toutle Lake on Friday at Hoquiam High School.
Hoquiam (3-2) led 19-15 at the half but managed just 10 points over the final two periods on four field goals and two free throws.
The fourth quarter turned out to be the difference as leading 25-23 at the end of three frames, the Grizzlies were outscored 14-4 over the final eight minutes of the game by the Ducks (5-0).
Hoquiam struggled against Toutle Lake’s pressure defense, leading to 33 turnovers that “left us with many possessions without a shot,” according to Grizzlies head coach Chad Allan.
“Valiant effort for the Grizzlies against one of the best 2B teams in the state who have top guards and are extremely well coached,” Allan said. “We just got tired in the second half and their intense pressure defense got to us most in the fourth quarter.”
Hoquiam was led by senior guard Lexi LaBounty with nine points and senior Sydney Gordon and sophomore Aaliyah Kennedy with eight points apiece.
The Grizzlies outrebounded Toutle Lake 35-22, led by Kennedy with 14.
Hoquiam shot 11 for 27 from the field (41%) and shot just three free throws in the game, making two.
The Ducks shot 27% from the floor on 14-of-51 shooting.
”What a great learning opportunity for us to play such a team and find a way to stay ahead at the start of every quarter. No way you can keep a great team down and they themselves found that extra energy and pulled away last four minutes of the game,” Allan said. “We make no excuses as we have to have answers for teams like this. Our young club will grow greatly from this experience. Super proud of them to rise up to the challenge second day in a row.”
Hoquiam plays at Forks in a non-league game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Toutle Lake 6 9 8 14 – 37
Hoquiam 10 9 6 4 – 29
Scoring: Toutle Lake – Thayer 19, L. Dean 12, Webber 2, K. Dean 2, Spinneberg 2. Hoquiam – LaBounty 9, Kennedy 8, S. Gordon 8, Brodhead 2, Haskey 2.
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Willapa Valley 40, Mary M. Knight 34
Willapa Valley opened league play with a 40-34 victory over Mary M. Knight on Friday at Mary M. Knight High School in Matlock.
The Vikings (2-1, 1-0 1B Coastal) struggled on offense through three quarters of the game, managing just 22 points heading into the final frame, but held a slim one-point lead thanks to their defense and a key timeout in the third quarter.
“Matlock is always a hard place for us to play. We know we will have a battle each time we travel there. We came out very flat and had to regroup offensively. Our defense played exceptionally well tonight. We were able to slow down their offense,” Valley head coach Dawn Keeton said. “After halftime, with a lot of the same back and forth and letting them control our tempo, we had to take a timeout three minutes into the third to regroup. The girls came out of that timeout with a renewed fire and understanding of how to take the control back and play our game.”
Valley scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to take the lead for good and earn a victory in its 1B Coastal League opener.
”We were getting better looks at the basket and going into contact,” Keeton said. “Mary M. Knight is a very aggressive team and we had to take advantage of that. We had to go into contact more and create opportunities for ourselves instead of wanting it to come to us.”
Sophomore post Tylar Keeton lead Valley with 16 points and 12 rebounds while guard Kylee Fluke also scored in double figures with 10 points and had a team-best seven steals.
Valley went 11 for 56 as a team (20%) and went 13 of 24 from the free-throw line (54%).
The Vikings defense also recorded 17 deflections in the game.
”Our girls showed some grit and came out with our first league win,” Coach Keeton said. “We have a tough week.”
Valley faces Pe Ell in a non-league game at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Willapa Valley 7 8 7 18 – 40
Mary M. Knight 6 6 9 13 – 34
Scoring: WV – Keeton 16, Fluke 10, Ashley 9, Hurley 3, Matlock 3.
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Ocosta 52, Wishkah Valley 16
Ocosta took a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a 52-16 win over Wishkah Valley on Friday at Wishkah Valley High School.
The Wildcats (2-2, 1-0 1B Coastal) opened league play with a 22-9 first quarter, thanks in large part o sophomore standout Bristol Towle, who scored 14 of her game-high 23 points in the frame.
Ocosta’s defense shutout the Loggerettes (0-2, 0-1) in the second quarter to take a 34-9 lead by halftime.
Wishkah scored seven points over the final two quarters as Ocosta rolled to the 52-16 victory.
“We’re happy with the win, but we know we still have a lot of growing to do as a group,” Ocosta head coach Hunter Hatton said. “We tried some new things tonight and it was great to see our young team execute defenses they haven’t played before. That growth is what we’re really focused on as we move forward.
Towle had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds to go along with seven steals and five assists.
Junior Elly Mirante also had a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats. Mirante added four steals and two blocks to her stat line.
Ocosta grabbed 44 rebounds as a team – 18 offensive – and committed 18 turnovers in the game.
Wishkah was led by senior shooting guard Addison Rainey and junior Arya Tonseth with four points apiece.
The Wildcats face Morton-White Pass in a non-league game at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Morton High School.
The Loggerettes host Quilcene in a non-league game at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Ocosta 22 12 13 15 – 52
Wishkah Valley 9 0 2 5 – 16
Scoring: Ocosta – Towle 23, Mirante 17, Morris 8, Park 2, Pratt 2, Wolfley 2. Wishkah Valley – Rainey 4, Tonseth 4, Hutsell 3, Matthews 2, Southard 2, Yarmey 1.
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Other games
Crescent 51, North Beach 44
