BOYS PREP BASKETBALL
Hoquiam 55, Tenino 20
Hoquiam took one step closer to capturing a share of the league title with a 55-20 home win against Tenino on Tuesday night.
Rayyon Dayton had another big game for the Grizzlies (10-9, 5-2 Evergreen 1A) with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals.
Dayton put up another solid stat line despite not scoring in the first quarter when Hoquiam struggled to find its offensive rhythm. The Grizzlies scored just seven points in the period.
Tenino (11-8, 2-6) also had difficulties getting its offense going and only hit one shot from the field in the opening eight minutes.
Hoquiam guard Jackson Folkers said the offense began to open up once the perimeter ball movement improved.
“We started taking the shots that we needed to and we stopped forcing it down low to our bigs,” he said. “Instead of forcing it down low, we worked it around to get the right shot and make the right play.”
Hoquiam’s offense began to click once it established its mid-range game, allowing the Grizzlies to put up 19 points in the second quarter and take a 26-7 lead into the halftime break.
Hoquiam’s Garrett Dick, left, pulls up for a baseline jumper against Tenino in the first quarter. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)
Dayton began to heat up before halftime and scored six of his 13 points in the second quarter. Grizzlies head coach Curtis Eccles said Dayton’s work on the boards helped them establish the lead.
“Rayyon played a great game to get offensive rebounds that set the tone early and get us that margin,” he said. “From there we kind of crept away from them.”
Folkers also chipped in with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range.
The Grizzlies defense was also a factor in the victory with Tenino not reaching double digits until 2:07 in the third quarter.
Hoquiam also snatched up 13 steals, many of which helped fuel the transition game. Eccles said jumping in passing lanes was a priority.
“We talked about anticipating passes and I felt that we did a great job of it. That’s what allowed us to get a lot of transition baskets and get the ball down the court quickly,” he said. “Changing the defenses helped because we switched from man, to 3-2, to 2-3 and that helped set the tone also.”
Hoquiam’s Jonny Smith, left, takes a 3-pointer in the second quarter against Tenino on Tuesday. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)
Hoquiam will play its final game of the regular season at home against league-leading Forks on Friday at 7 p.m.
According to WIAA tie breaker procedures, Hoquiam would have to beat Forks by four points to be earn the top seed in the league.
Forks defeated Hoquiam 62-60 on Jan. 15 and Eccles said it will take another complete team effort to come out ahead on Friday night.
“Everyone contributed all the way down the bench and I’m proud of the way these guys played together,” he said. “That’s what we needed to do moving forward, just do what we did tonight.”
Tenino 3 4 6 7 – 20
Hoquiam 7 19 16 15 – 55
Top Players: Hoquiam — Dayton (13 pts., 10 reb., 8 stl.), Folkers (9 pts.), Matt Borwn (6 pts., 12 reb.); Tenino — Alex Braden (7 pts.)
Aberdeen 48, Centralia 46
Javier Bojorge came up big with a put-back layup in the waning seconds of Aberdeen’s 48-46 road win over Rochester.
The victory clinches a spot in the 2A District IV playoffs.
Centralia (2-16, 1-7, Evergreen 2A) had possession with four seconds left but Aberdeen point guard Ben Dublanko stole the inbound pass and drove the lane to attempt a layup.
Dublanko’s layup attempt was unsuccessful, but the missed shot was followed up by Bojorge, who grabbed the ball off the rim and got his game-winning shot up just before the buzzer sounded.
Aberdeen (14-4, 5-3) was locked in a tight one with the Tigers for the entire game and had a slim 25-24 lead by halftime.
Bobcats head coach Mark Buckman said it’s encouraging to see his team pulling out close wins this time of year.
“They had a good defensive game plan but ultimately, our team showed resiliency,” he said. “We’re winning games in tough ways and that’s what good teams do.”
Aberdeen will host Rochester on Friday at 7 p.m.
Centralia 12 14 6 14
Aberdeen 8 17 10 13
Top Players: Gio Pisani (12 pts.) Dubanko (9 pts., 5 ast.), Bojorge (11 pts., 4 ast.) Centralia — Michael Ajoge (17 pts.)
Ocosta 78, South Bend 50
When Ocosta started controlling the pace of play, South Bend couldn’t slow the Wildcats down.
Ocosta used an up-tempo offense to captured a 78-50 home win over the Indians on Tuesday.
Ocosta (8-11, 8-9 Pacific 2B) started out the game down 13-8, but the Wildcats began to pick up steam with a 7-2 run at the end of the first quarter.
South Bend (3-16, 2-15) attempted to slow down the game early and execute their half-court offense.
Ocosta ended up asserting its will as the game went on and took a 39-22 lead into halftime. Cole Hatton scored 13 of his team-leading 19 points in the first half.
Ocosta limited the Indians’ offense in the third quarter as well, outscoring South Bend 25-8 in the game’s third frame.
South Bend was led by Drew Rose who put up 18 points, 13 of which he scored in the first half.
Ocosta will finish out its regular season on the road against Ilwaco on Thursday at 7 p.m.
South Bend will also be in action on Thursday with a 7 p.m. game at Raymond.
South Bend 14 8 8 20 – 50
Ocosta 15 24 25 14 – 78
Top Players: South Bend – Rose (18 pts.), Logan Stamos (14 pts.); Ocosta – Cole Hatton (19 pts., 9 reb. ), Kobe Beck (16 pts.), Alex Bailey (12 pts. 7 reb, 3 stl.)
Raymond 64, Northwest Christian 46
The Raymond Seagulls kept their postseason hopes alive with a 64-46 upset victory over Northwest Christian on Tuesday in Raymond.
In arguably its biggest win of the season, Raymond held a 40-35 lead entering the final eight minutes. The Seagulls (6-13, 6-11 Pacific 2B) dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Navigators (15-4, 13-4) 24-11 over the final eight minutes to preserve the victory and remain one game back of Chief Leschi for the league’s seventh and final playoff spot.
“This was a huge win for us tonight,” Raymond head coach Derek Rask said. “I thought our kids understood what was at stake and they stayed determined and locked in to our game plan. Our defensive effort was solid, and we held their primary scorers in check. We did a nice job of closing the game in the fourth quarter, and I thought our kids did a fantastic job of taking care of the basketball and managing the clock down the stretch.”
Raymond also hit its free-throws late in the game to keep NWC from making it close. The Seagulls went 17-of-23 from the charity stripe on the night, including an 8-for-9 performance from Cole Enslow.
McCartney Maden led the Seagulls with 16 points. Enslow had 15 while Tre’ Seydel also scored in double figures with 11 points.
Raymond hosts South Bend at 7 p.m. on Thursday in its regular-season finale.
Northwest Christian 8 13 14 11 — 46
Raymond 13 14 13 24 — 64
Top Players: Raymond — Maden (16 pts.), Enslow (15 pts.), Seydel (11 pts.), Devine Souvannavanh (9 pts., 6 asst.), Cesar Delgado (8 pts., 13 reb.); NWC — Nick Tarabochia (13 pts.), Jude Phillips (13 pts.).
Ilwaco 60, Willapa Valley 54
The Ilwaco Fishermen moved into a second-place tie with Willapa Valley after defeating the Vikings 60-54 on Tuesday in Menlo.
Ilwaco (14-5, 13-4 Pacific 2B) started the game on a 6-0 run but saw Willapa Valley (15-4, 13-4) go on a scoring spurt of its own to take a 20-9 lead.
But the Fishermen outscored the Vikings 21-17 in the third quarter to take a five-point lead heading into the final eight minutes of the game.
Willapa Valley kept the game close, but couldn’t muster much offense in the final quarter en route to its second-straight loss, the first time the Vikings have suffered back-to-back losses this season.
Logan Walker led Willapa Valley with 26 points. Matt Pearson added 14 points and Beau Buchanan had six points and a team-best eight rebounds for the Vikings.
According to Willapa Valley head coach Jay Pearson, the issues with his team on Tuesday were typical of what he’s seen from the Vikings at points this season.
“It’s been our story all year: We had lapses on defense,” he said. “I don’t know if we took a break and got lackadaisical, but we quit playing defense and rebounding. … We’ve said it all year, ‘Attack the basket and limit them to one shot,’ and we’re not doing that so other teams are making us pay.”
Willapa Valley, Ilwaco and Northwest Christian, which lost to Raymond on Tuesday, are all tied for second place in the league with identical 13-4 records.
The Vikings take on Pe Ell at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Pe Ell High School. Depending on the outcome of Thursday’s regular-season finales, Willapa Valley could finish anywhere from second through fourth place.
Ilwaco 8 17 21 14 — 60
Willapa Valley 13 11 17 13 — 54
Top Players: Willapa Valley — Walker (26 pts., 7 reb.), M. Pearson (14 pts., 4 reb., 4 asst.), Buchanan (6 pts., 8 reb.); Ilwaco — Reese Tynkila (21 pts.), John Glenn (15 pts.).
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
Forks 76, Elma 46
Elma struggled on both ends of the floor in a 76-46 loss to Forks on Tuesday at Forks High School.
The Eagles (1-18, 0-7 Evergreen 1A) hit 19-of-47 from the field (40 percent) and fell behind by 15 points at the half after the Spartans won the second quarter, 22-10.
Forks (15-4, 6-1) put to rest any Elma second-half comeback hopes with a 22-8 third quarter, led by a dominant performance in the paint, where the Spartans outscored the Eagles 64-24.
Elma was led by Cobey Moore and Cody Vollan, each of whom scored eight points in the contest.
The Eagles close out their season when they host Montesano at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Elma 15 10 8 13 — 46
Forks 18 22 22 14 — 76
Top Players: Elma — Moore (8 pts.), Vollan (8 pts.), Carter Jacobson (7 pts.), Raiden Aho (7 pts.).
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
Mary M. Knight 89, North River 63
Mary M. Knight’s Eddy Krippelcz scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Owls to an 89-63 victory over North River on Tuesday at North River High School.
The Owls (12-7, 8-1 Coastal 1B) scored 24 points in the first quarter and extended their lead to 41-28 by halftime.
“They’re so fast and they love to play pressure defense,” North River head coach Sean Pierson said. “They are looking good and it wouldn’t surprise me if they make a state run this year.”
Isaiah Compton added 23 points for Mary M. Knight, which sits in second place behind Taholah in the 1B Coastal standings.
North River (4-4 overall, Coastal 1B) was led by Luis and Kelvin Nieves. The elder Luis scored a team-high 21 points for the Mustangs while Kelvin chipped in with 14 points on the evening.
Despite the loss, Pierson said his team has improved compared to its previous meeting with the Owls.
“We lost by 40 points in their gym,” he said. “So I’m super happy that we only lost by 26 points. I’ll take it.”
North River plays at Lake Quinault at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Mary M. Knight plays at Taholah at 7 p.m. on Friday in a game that will decide the 1B Coastal League championship.
Mary M. Knight 24 17 22 26 — 89
North River 19 9 16 19 — 63
Top Players: MMK — Krippelcz (32 pts.), Compton (23 pts.); NR — L. Nieves (21 pts.), K. Nieves (14 pts.).
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
Other Scores
Taholah 70, Oakville 47
GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
Tenino 57, Hoquiam 45
Hoquiam stayed within striking distance early in the second half, but couldn’t overcome its turnovers in a 57-45 home loss to Tenino on Tuesday night.
Hoquiam (7-10, 0-7 Evergreen 1A) struggled to score in the first quarter, but appeared to turn things around in the second period where they outscored Tenino 16-10.
Hoquiam went into halftime down 28-24 and faced an intense half-court trap from Tenino at the start of the third.
“We came out and we turned the ball over three times in a row and I had to call timeout,” Hoquiam head coach Denny Hinchen said. “It just went back-and-forth from there and we couldn’t close the gap after that.”
Tenino led the entire second half and relied on shooting from Kaylee Schow who scored a game-high 29 points.
Hoquiam’s defense was hampered with 28 turnovers, but Rylee Vonhof provided offensive consistency with 20 points to go along with her 10 rebounds.
Hoquiam can still sneak into the playoffs with a win against Forks in its last home game of the season on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
If the Grizzlies win on Friday, Forks and Hoquiam will square off again at a neutral location in a play-in game to determine who gets the last spot in the 1A Evergreen District IV Tournament.
Hoquiam 8 16 10 11 — 45
Tenino 18 10 15 14 — 57
Top Players: Top Player: Hoquiam — Vonhof (20 pts. 10 reb.) Sharaya Brydon (10 pts., 4 ast), Maya Jump (8 pts. 3 stl, 3 blk); Tenino — Kaylee Schow (29 pts.); Ashley Schow (12 pts.)
Lake Quinault 55, Wishkah Valley 36
Lake Quinault used a big third quarter to help seize a 55-36 home win over Wishkah Valley on Tuesday night.
Thunder Mowitch came up big with 22 points for Lake Quinault (1-11, 1-8 Pacific 1B) to help the Elks capture their first win of the season.
Mowitch was one of three Elks to reach double figures with Jesus Mendoza (14 points), and Kenneth Eller (12 pts.) joining him in double digits.
Wishkah held on to a slim 24-23 lead at the half and saw its offense slow in the third quarter while the Elks got on a roll.
Lake Quinault outscored the Loggers 23-8 in the third frame.
Wishkah head coach Stefanie Baltzell said fatigue likely played a factor in the second half.
“I believe the three weeks of three games a week, including playing the night before, had the Loggers greatly fatigued in the second half of this game,” she said.
The Loggers scored 12 points after halftime and got a good game from Joey Brenneman, who posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Lake Quinault will head to Cosmopolis on Thursday to face North River at 7 p.m.
Wishkah Valley plays North River at 7 p.m. on Friday at home.
Wishkah 8 16 8 4 36
Lake Quinault 4 19 23 9 55
Top Players: Lake Quinault — Mowitch (22 pts.), Seller (12 pts), Mendoza (14 pts.); Wishkah Valley — Brenneman (14 pts., 10 pts.), Dillon Richart (9 pts., 10 reb.)
Mary M. Knight 48, North River 17
Kaylee Sowell scored 26 points to lead Mary M. Knight to a 48-17 victory over North River on Tuesday at North River High School.
The Owls (14-3, 7-1 Coastal 1B) held the Mustangs (2-6 overall, Coastal 1B) to less than 10 points in each quarter and led 27-6 at halftime.
Eliza Gumaelius led North River with nine points in the game.
North River plays at Lake Quinault at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mary M. Knight, the league’s second-place team, will battle No. 1 Taholah at 5:45 p.m. on Friday in Taholah.
Mary M. Knight 16 11 14 7 — 48
North River 2 4 7 4 — 17
Top Players: MMK — Sowell (26 pts.), Jadyn Davidson (10 pts.); NR — E. Gumaelius (9 pts.).
— Ryan Sparks, Grays Harbor News Group
