The league portion of the 2024-25 season is in full swing as we review Tuesday’s prep hoops games on the Harbor.
~~~
GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
Aberdeen 47, Centralia 43
A fourth-quarter rally propelled Aberdeen to a 47-43 2A Evergreen Conference win over Centralia on Tuesday at Centralia High School.
The Bobcats (3-5, 1-0 2A Evergreen) trailed 34-28 entering the final period, having not scored more than 10 points in any of the first three quarters against the Tigers (4-5, 0-1).
But Aberdeen took a 36-35 lead a few minutes into the fourth before a Centralia run gave the lead back to the Tigers.
The two teams exchanged leads several times until Bobcats guard Bentley Brown buried a three to put Aberdeen up 44-42 with 45 seconds remaining.
Fifteen seconds later, Aberdeen points guard Sophia Knutson ran a give-and-go with Brown, who scored to put the Cats ahead 46-42.
Centralia then made 1-of-2 free throws to trim the Aberdeen lead to 46-43 with 20 seconds to play.
A Bobcats turnover game the Tigers a chance to tie the game with a three with 17 seconds left, but the Centralia attempt missed and was rebounded by Cats freshman guard Kennedy Kolodzie, who was eventually fouled and went to the free-throw line with the Bobcats up three with five seconds remaining.
Kolodzie made 1-of-2 free throws to give Aberdeen a two-score lead at 47-43.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO Aberdeen freshman Kennedy Kolodzie’s free throw in the final moments of Tuesday’s game against Centralia clinched the Bobcats’ 47-43 win on Tuesday in Centralia.
A last-ditch, half-court attempt from Centralia missed as the Bobcats earned the victory in their league opener.
“I told them I’m proud of them and the way they came back in the fourth quarter after being down the whole game,” Aberdeen head coach Curtis Eccles said of his words to his team after the win. “We’ve just got to continue improving on the little things that are getting us in trouble.”
One of those “little things” Eccles mentioned was fouls as Aberdeen sent Centralia shooters to the charity stripe 19 times, converting 11.
Aberdeen was led by Brown with 17 points.
Alyvia Lamont had nine points and nine rebounds while Shay Dunlap also scored nine points for the Cats.
Knutson had six points and a team-high eight assists for Aberdeen.
Aberdeen’s JV team won 44-20 on Tuesday, with Madi Garrison scoring 17 points in the win.
Aberdeen plays at Shelton at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Shelton.
Aberdeen 9 9 10 19 – 47
Centralia 14 6 14 9 – 43
Scoring: Aberdeen – Brown 17, Lamont 9, Dunlap 9, Knutson 6, Kolodzie 3, S. Shoemaker 2, Mainio 1. Centralia – Sprague 18, Ahern 10, Erickson 6, Baumel 4, Saucedo 3, Ferch 2.
~~~
PHOTO BY MIKE ROBERTS Elma’s Olivia Moore (33) puts up a jump shot against Tenino’s Keira Laughlin (13) and Brianna Asay during the Eagles’ 43-27 win on Tuesday in Tenino.
Elma 43, Tenino 27
Elma moved to 2-0 in 1A Evergreen League play with a 43-27 victory over Tenino on Tuesday at Tenino High School.
The Eagles (3-5 overall, 2-0 1A Evergreen) got double-digits scoring performances from forward Keke Bol (16 points) and post Olivia Moore (14 pts.) and allowed no more than nine points in each of the first three quarters to secure the win.
Elma started off slow, scoring just six points in the first quarter on 2-of-14 shooting (14.3%) but responded by hitting 6-of-18 shots in the second quarter (33%) to take a 20-13 halftime lead.
In that decisive second quarter, Bol scored seven points to lead Elma.
The Eagles shot 25% from the floor on 16-of-63 shooting in the game and went 9 of 17 from the free-throw line (53%).
Elma’s defense held the Beavers (3-10, 0-2) to 15% shooting from the field on 8-of-54 shooting.
The Eagles committed 20 personal fouls in the game, leading to 27 Tenino free-throw attempts, but the Beavers hit on just 11 from the line (41%).
Elma takes on Centralia at 7 p.m. on Friday at Elma High School.
The school will honor two of its 2024 Hall of Fame inductees – Jamie Craighead and Ben Dougherty – that evening in a ceremony scheduled for approximately 6:30 p.m.
Elma 6 14 10 13 – 43
Tenino 8 4 9 13 – 27
Scoring: Elma – Bol 16, Moore 14, Lewis 5, Roberts 4, Murphy 4. Tenino – Asay 10, Thoren 6, Gonia 5, Laughlin 3, Grayless 2, Williams 1.
~~~
Montesano 57, Hoquiam 36
Montesano handled Hoquiam for a 57-36 1A Evergreen League victory on Tuesday at Hoquiam High School.
The Bulldogs (8-4, 2-0 1A Evergreen) used their vaunted pressure defense to disrupt the Grizzlies (6-6, 0-1), leading to 21 turnovers that Monte consistently turned into points.
Monte led by seven after one quarter and held Hoquiam to a Lexi LaBounty three and a free throw by Sydney Gordon in the second quarter to take a 28-13 lead by halftime.
The Grizzlies had a much better second half, being outscored by Monte 29-23 thanks in large part to Gordon, who scored 10 of her team-high 13 points in the half.
But Monte’s dynamic duo of point guard Tieander Olson (19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals) and forward Jillie Dalan (25 pts., 10 reb.) combined to score 24 points over the final 16 minutes of the game to secure the victory, the Bulldogs’ second league win of the season.
“First off, I am nothing but proud of my players. We had enough effort tonight to compete with Montesano, but we fell short on experience and skill. We had many opportunities at the basket to keep the game closer, but you have to hit shots in this game to gain momentum. We missed many bunnies,” Hoquiam head coach Chad Allan said. “Second, I want to congratulate Montesano on coming in and provided why they lead the league over so many years. It was the Tieander Olson show tonight that drove everything for them on offense and relentless defense. Hats off to that young lady for putting the team on her back and daring opponents to match up. Her partner in crime, Jillie Dalan, is another very special player to create that one-two punch that knocked us out often. Those two were the difference tonight that we could not match.”
Gordon added seven rebounds to her stat line and Aaliyah Kennedy (5 pts., 12 reb.), LaBounty (6 pts., 7 reb., 5 ast., 4 stl.) and Katlyn Brodhead (6 pts., 5 ast.) “played every second of the game,” according to Allan.
Both teams will face league foes in their next scheduled matchups.
The Bulldogs host Rochester at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday.
Hoquiam will face Tenino at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday at Hoquiam Square Garden.
Montesano 16 12 15 14 – 57
Hoquiam 9 4 11 12 – 36
Scoring: Montesano – Dalan 25, Olson 19, Schrader 9, Forster 2, Wade 2. Hoquiam – Gordon 13, LaBounty 6, Brodhead 6, Kennedy 5, Capoeman 4, Stewart 2.
~~~
Taholah 52, Willapa Valley 41
Taholah’s press defense created havoc for Willapa Valley in the Chitwhins’ 52-41 win in a 1B Coastal League game on Tuesday at Willapa Valley High School.
The Chitwhins (6-3, 4-1 1B Coastal) forced 33 turnovers by Willapa Valley (4-5, 2-1), turning a Vikings one-point lead after the first quarter into a 40-27 Taholah advantage by the end of the third.
“We battled their press right off the bat and turned the ball over in the beginning,” said Valley head coach Dawn Keeton, whose team eventually relieved the pressure but not in time to mount a comeback. “We finally broke the press and scored enough times that they finally called off their press, which was huge for us because we tend to struggle with pressure.”
Valley was led by Tylar Keeton (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Addison Merkel (10 pts.).
The Vikings shot 16 of 52 from the field (30.8%) and hit 7-of-14 free throws (50%).
“We couldn’t turn possessions into points and we have to shoot the ball more,” Coach Keeton said. “But in order to do that we have to maintain our possessions.”
Taholah was led by Noelani McCrory and Keeliana McCrory with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
The Chitwhins take on Oakville at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Taholah.
Valley faces Toledo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Toledo.
Taholah 9 16 15 12 – 52
Willapa Valley 10 8 9 14 – 41
Scoring: Taholah – N. McCrory 16, K. McCrory 14. WV – Keeton 11, Merkel 10, Matlock 8, Fluke 6, Hurley 6.
~~~
Other games
Naselle 63, Lake Quinault 21
~~~
BOYS PREP BASKETBALL
Willapa Valley 59, Taholah 48
Willapa Valley held on to a sizable first-half lead en route to a 59-48 win over Taholah on Tuesday at Willapa Valley High School.
The Vikings (8-2, 2-0 1B Coastal) jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead at 32-17 before the Chitwhins (5-5, 1-3) cut the deficit to 43-35 with an 18-11 third quarter.
But behind the play of Brody Aust off the bench with 17 points, Valley was able to sustain a Chitwhins run down the stretch for the 59-48 victory.
“This was a nice league win for us at home. I thought the difference in the game was our effort on both ends of the floor in the second quarter. We executed well and put together a solid run offensively,” Valley head coach Derek Rask said. “Brody Aust was fantastic for us off the bench, giving us the spark we needed both offensively and defensively.”
Nathan Fluke had 11 points for Valley while Lucas Lusk pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds for the Vikings.
Blane King led Valley with five assists.
Taholah hosts Oakville at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Valley plays at Lake Quinault at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Taholah 10 7 18 13 – 48
Willapa Valley 16 16 11 16 – 59
Scoring: WV – Aust 17, Fluke 11, King 8, Lusk 8, Ritzman 7, Russell 4, Swartz 4. ~~~
Other games
Naselle 85, Lake Quinault 29
