HOQUIAM–Things just got a whole lot more interesting atop the 1A Evergreen League.
Taking advantage of a Hoquiam Grizzlies team beset by illness, the Montesano Bulldogs thrust themselves into league-title contention with a 51-24 victory on Tuesday at Hoquiam High School.
The Bulldogs (11-7 overall, 5-1 1A Evergreen) and Grizzlies (11-7, 4-1) played close through approximately the first 1.5 quarters of the game.
A basket from Hoquiam sophomore forward Aaliyah Kennedy, one of multiple Grizzlies currently dealing with the recent flu bug that has spread across the area, tied the game at 11-all halfway through the second quarter.
But Monte would close the first half on an 8-0 run, capped by a bucket from junior wing Makena Blancas to put the Bulldogs up 19-11 at halftime.
PHOTO BY HAILEY BLANCAS Montesano guard Makena Blancas scored 16 points in a 51-24 win over Hoquiam on Tuesday at Hoquiam Square Garden.
Monte carried the momentum throughout the third quarter, primarily on the back of its press defense.
The Bulldogs turned many a Grizzly turnover into points in the third frame, turning what was a single-digit lead to a rout.
The Grizzlies had just two shot attempts through the first four minutes of the quarter and saw the Monte lead expand to 40-11 after a three from reigning league MVP Jillie Dalan.
Hoquiam senior post Sydney Gordon scored a bucket in the paint for the Grizzlies first points of the second half at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter.
Hoquiam would find a rhythm with seven points over the final 2:15 of the period, but the damage had been done as Monte took a commanding 45-20 lead into the fourth quarter.
With just seven players suited up for the game and the majority of those on the floor dealing with illness, Hoquiam had no answers for Montesano in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs would go on to win 51-24, splitting the season series with the Grizzlies.
“We talked at halftime that we had some opportunities from our defense that we didn’t take advantage of,” Monte head coach Mark Mansfield said. “We need to value the ball and attack them and we did. We got some steals in that third quarter and converted them. I think it got (Hoquiam) on their heels a little bit.”
“Our guards really picked it up on our press and were aggressive on our traps. They really led the whole thing for us,” Dalan said. “We were making our baskets, going up strong and we just didn’t let up.”
PHOTO BY HAILEY BLANCAS Montesano senior forward Jillie Dalan had a game-high 18 points in a 51-24 victory over Hoquiam on Tuesday at Hoquiam Square Garden.
Monte went 20 of 60 from the field (33%) and made 9-of-18 free throws (50%).
The Bulldogs were led by Dalan (18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Blancas (16 pts., 6 reb., 4 stl.), each of whom scored in double figures.
Regan Wintrip added a team-high nine rebounds for Monte, which held a 38-13 advantage on the glass, including 21 offensive rebounds.
Not one to make the excuse that his team lost due to the rampant illness that has swept through his club, Hoquiam head coach Chad Allan said the statistics tell the story.
“Any team that is not 100% and you are playing a good team, it’s going to be a struggle,” he said, noting the disparity in the turnover and rebounding margins. “I thought it was evident in the stats, which are not normal. … That’s uncharacteristic for us. We battled, but we have to give credit to Monte, they had the energy to work with that. We still stayed with them, but we had a third period where we let them get to our emotions, and we had to calm that.”
Hoquiam never got into its offensive groove, shooting 28% from the floor on 7-of-25 shooting while committing 35 turnovers.
“We’ve kept working on it and come out and did a nice job with it today,” said Mansfield, who agreed Tuesday’s game was his team’s best showing of its press defense. “It was the best our press has worked this season.”
Kennedy led the Grizzlies with seven points, five rebounds and three steals.
With the win, Monte slips a half-game ahead of Hoquiam in the win column for the top spot in the 1A Evergreen League.
If both teams win out their remaining league games as expected, the WIAA RPI will be the deciding factor as to which team will get the No. 1 league-playoff seed.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam’s Sydney Gordon (42) puts up a shot against Montesano’s Regan Wintrip during the Grizzlies’ 51-24 loss over Hoquiam on Tuesday at Hoquiam Square Garden.
“The first game (against Hoquiam) was kind of a wake-up call,” Mansfield said. “It ended up being a great chance to refocus. We changed kind of how we attacked things in practice and they’ve really kind of bought into it.”
“After that loss, it really hurt us and was really a wake-up call that we have to lock in more in practice,” Dalan said. “I think we just came in here with the mindset that we have to win this game and we went above that expectation.”
“We have to take care of what we need to take care of,” Allan said. “Neither one of us can get to the end without doing something special.”
Montesano hosts Rochester in a league game at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday.
Hoquiam hosts Tenino in a league matchup at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Montesano 11 8 26 6 – 51
Hoquiam 5 6 9 4 – 24
Scoring: Montesano – Dalan 18, Blancas 16, Perry 5, Kaivo-Houlton 4, Lytle 4, Forster 2. Hoquiam – Kennedy 7, S. Gordon 6, LaBounty 5, Brodhead 4, Haskey 2.
