A disastrous start ushered in a rough shakedown cruise for the Grays Harbor College men.
Reeling off the game’s opening 11 points, Edmonds Community College went on to trounce the Chokers, 93-67, in a non-conference season men’s basketball opener Tuesday at the GHC gym.
Former Morton High School standout Zach Walton paced the visiting Tritons with 30 points, while sophomore classmate Jake Higgins added 24 for Edmonds.
Speedy guard Jake Tillery, one of GHC’s few sophomores, was effective on drives to the hoops in scoring a team-high 23 points.
Edmonds literally led from the opening tipoff. After the Tritons controlled the tap, Walton drove for a lay-in.
Converting Grays Harbor turnovers into fast-break opportunites and doing a number on the Chokers on the offensive glass, the Tritons led 11-0 with the game barely 2 1/2 minutes old. It was 24-4 moments later.
“We just didn’t come out ready to go,” first-year Grays Harbor coach Kevin Williamson said. “The problem is that Edmonds is really good, coach (Kyle) Gray does a tremendous job. They’ve got a lot of 21-year-old redshirt sophomores and I’ve got 14 freshmen.”
Down 54-33 at intermission, the Chokers picked up their defensive intensity in the second half. Ben Mendoza came off the bench to drain three 3-pointers in about a 2 1/2-minute stretch as GHC trimmed what had been as much as a 29-point deficit to 14 (75-61) with 7:08 remaining.
Higgins, however, answered with two three-balls of his own and Walton added a pair of baskets as the Tritons responded with a 12-2 run that put the game out of reach.
Williamson saw some positive signs in the second half, citing the play of Tillery, Mendoza, 6-foot-9 center Will Weems and reserve guard Jalen Gibson-Starks, among others. Weems scored all nine of his points and Mendoza nine of his 11 in the final 20 minutes.
He viewed Edmonds’ 48-34 rebounding advantage, however, with displeasure.
“You can’t give up 21 offensive rebounds. And our turnover ratio was really bad,” the Choker coach said. “The turnovers and the offensive rebounds killed any chance we had of getting momentum.”
The Chokers host Clark on Tuesday.
Edmonds (93) — Higgins 24, Price 2, Doyle 10, Walton 30, Turner 8, Hutt 4, LaCasse 15. FG — 33-73 (.452). FT — 16-17.
Grays Harbor (67) — Weems 9, Gibson-Starks 5, D. Jackson 2, Holifield 9, Tillery 23, Marotte 5, Mendoza 11, Fischer 1, J. Jackson 2, Ling, Thomas, Bean. FG — 25-64 (.391). FT — 11-19.
Halftime: Edmonds 54, Grays Harbor 33.
