Hoquiam held Elma without a field goal to lock up its playoff spot as we review recent girls prep hoops games on the Harbor.

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GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL

Hoquiam 44, Elma 5

The Hoquiam Grizzlies secured second place in the 1A Evergreen League with a dominant 44-5 win over Elma on Friday at Hoquiam High School.

The resurgent Grizzlies (12-7 overall, 5-2 1A Evergreen) honored seniors Katlyn Brodhead and Nadine Stewart on Senior Night by holding the Eagles (6-12, 4-3) without a field goal in the game.

“Defensive effort was the goal on the night and a total team effort we got. Everyone played and everyone contributed,” Elma head coach Chad Allan said. “We have been on the other side of this score with Elma in the past, but no one wants a game where the opponent does not score a basket in 38 attempts. Elma is truly a much better team than the score and the stats show and I was very nervous about tonight’s game as I know their potential.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma’s Meredith Smith (34) is defended by Hoquiam’s Katlyn Brodhead during the Grizzlies’ 44-5 win on Friday in Hoquiam.

Elma scored one point – a free throw by sophomore forward Keke Bol – through the first three quarters of play and got all its scoring by going 5 for 10 from the free-throw line (50%).

Hoquiam guard Lexi LaBounty got things going for the Grizzlies, scoring eight of her 10 points in the first quarter followed by forward Aaliyah Kennedy’s 10 points in the second quarter.

By the end of the first half, Hoquiam led 33-1.

Kennedy had a game-high 16 points, 17 rebounds and five steals to lead Hoquiam while LaBounty (10 pts., 2 assists, 2 steals) also finished in double figures for the Grizzlies.

Forward Sydney Gordon had eight points and 11 rebounds for Hoquiam, which went 14 of 43 from the field (33%) and outrebounded Elma 45-29 as a team.

PHOTO BY MIKE ROBERTS Hoquiam’s Aaliyah Kennedy (bottom left) and Elma’s Keke Bol (bottom right) compete for a loose ball during the Grizzlies’ 44-5 win on Friday at Hoquiam High School.

Grizzlies guard Katlyn Brodhead had five points and four steals for a Hoquiam squad that had 18 steals as a team.

With the win, Hoquiam secured the second place in the 1A Evergreen League with Elma entering the playoffs as the No. 3 playoff seed.

“I was so happy that our Senior Night with two amazing individuals like Nadine Stewart and Katlyn Brodhead went off with a bang,” Allan said. “These two were with us through the multiple low years and were truly integral in building our program up to guarantee second place in league and host the first district game. These two helped us have the first winning record since 2013. Such a nice way to celebrate.”

Hoquiam closes out the regular season with a league game against Rochester at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

Elma 0 1 0 4 – 6

Hoquiam 16 17 11 0 – 44

Scoring: Elma – Moore 4, Bol 1. Hoquiam – Kennedy 16, LaBounty 10, Gordon 8, K. Brodhead 5, A. Brodhead 3, Capoeman 2, Stewart 1.

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W.F. West 78, Aberdeen 20

Aberdeen struggled against the league’s top team in a 78-20 loss to W.F. West on Friday in Chehalis.

The Bobcats (4-12, 2-6 2A Evergreen) started the game behind the 8-ball as starting point guard Sophia Knutson was unable to play due to illness.

Aberdeen did a good job denying reigning league MVP Julia Dalan, holding the Bearcats forward to two points in the first quarter.

Problem for the Bobcats was W.F. West went 7 of 9 from the 3-point line to take a 22-6 lead after one period.

The Bearcats then ran away with it in the second quarter, outscoring Aberdeen 30-7 to take a commanding 52-13 lead by halftime.

Aberdeen was led by sophomore guard Bentley Brown with seven points.

The Bobcats shot 20% from the field on 7-of-35 shooting.

“I thought we did a pretty good job against their press,” said Aberdeen head coach Curtis Eccles, whose team turned the ball over just once against the Bearcats press despite missing their best ball-handler in Knutson. “We handled their press really well, even without (Knutson). Between Bentley (Brown) and Shay (Dunlap), they handled it pretty well getting it across the court. “(W.F. West’s) size and quickness just overpowered us.”

Aberdeen did get some good news on Friday as the Bobcats secured the fourth and final playoff seed with Centralia’s 43-31 loss to Shelton.

“When you start two freshman and two sophomores, that’s only telling you what a bright future it could be,” Aberdeen head coach Curtis Eccles said.

The Bobcats play at Tumwater at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Aberdeen 6 7 4 3 – 20

W.F. West 22 30 18 9 – 78

Scoring: Aberdeen – Brown 7, Lamont 5, Kolodzie 4, Dunlap 2, S. Shoemaker 2. WFW –Dalan 20, Boeck 19, Chloupek 12, Simpson 11, Beebe 9, McManus 3, Clinton 2, Baine 2, Hoffman 1.

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Willapa Valley 59, Taholah 52

Willapa Valley knotted up the race for a 1B Coastal League title with a 59-52 win over Taholah on Friday at Taholah High School.

The Vikings (9-8, 5-2 1B Coastal) tied the Chitwhins (13-5, 5-2) for first place in the league by attacking the basket and getting double-digit scoring efforts from three of its top players.

Senior Addison Merkel (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists), freshman Tylar Keeton (14 pts., 11 reb., 3 blocks) and junior Paislee Hurley (12 pts., 3 blk.) figures for Valley.

Merkel scored 10 of Valley’s 14 first-quarter points to help her team out to a 14-9 lead after the first quarter.

Taholah ended the first half on an 8-0 run to cut the Valley lead to 25-22 at the break.

The Chitwhins would tie the game in the third quarter, but behind Merkel, Keeton and Hurley’s continued attacks at the Chitwhins’ rim, Valley kept Taholah at arm’s length in the final period to secure the victory.

“We had to battle through the fourth quarter. Taholah is very physical and my girls did very well playing with their physicality,” Valley head coach Dawn Keeton said. “The last three games, we’re playing the best basketball we’ve played all season and this is the right time to be playing that. … Playing this kind of basketball is where we want to be and where we need to be.”

Valley went 20 of 54 from the field (37%) from the field – 17 of 39 from inside the 3-point line (44%) – and hit 16-of-26 free throws (62%).

Taholah junior center Noelani McCrory had 22 points to lead all scorers.

Taholah plays at North Beach at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

Valley hosts Lake Quinault in a league matchup at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Willapa Valley 14 11 18 16 – 59

Taholah 9 13 13 17 – 52

Scoring: WV – Merkel 18, Keeton 14, Hurley 12, Matlock 8, Fluke 7.

Fluke 7, Matlock 8, Hurley 12, Keeton 14, Merkel 18. Taholah – N. McCrory 22.

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Other games

North Beach 50, Ocosta 41 (Saturday)