Hoquiam’s freshmen led the Grizzlies in a win over Centralia and Willapa Valley earned a key league victory as we review Thursday’s Twin Harbors girls prep basketball games.
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GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
Hoquiam 55, Centralia 41
Hoquiam’s freshmen stepped up big in a 55-41 victory over Centralia on Thursday in Centralia.
Leading by one point after one quarter, Hoquiam (4-2 overall) scored 20 points in the second frame to take a 29-21 lead.
The Grizzlies extended the lead to 44-27 by the end of the third quarter.
Hoquiam was led by freshman guard RenaeJah Burtenshaw, who came off the bench to hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 17 points.
Grizzlies freshman forward Aaliyah Kennedy had a breakout performance with 11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Burtenshaw and fellow freshman guard Avery Brodhead combined for what head coach Chad Allan called “a lockdown tandem on defense” while older sister Katlyn Brodhead added seven rebounds for Hoquiam.
“It was an attack of the freshmen tonight,” Allan said. “So proud of everyone and their composure on the road in such a game. Great preseason test and we are learning as we go. Great program road win. We are only scratching the surface of our potential and Centralia made us grow tonight.”
Hoquiam hosts Shelton at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Hoquiam 9 20 15 11 — 55
Centralia 8 13 6 14 — 41
Scoring: Hoquiam – Burtenshaw 17, Kennedy 11. Centralia — Ahern 16, Sprague 11, Erickson 6, Ferch 4, Saucedo 4.
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Willapa Valley 45, Naselle 41
Willapa Valley snapped a two-game skid with a clutch 45-41 league victory over Naselle on Thursday at Willapa Valley High School.
The Vikings (3-3, 2-0 1B Coastal) opened the game by beating Naselle’s full-court press en route to a 12-0 run.
Valley continued to break the Comets’ press and dominated through three quarters, leading 39-26 heading into the final period of play.
Behind a game-high 23 points from sophomore forward Aubrey Katyryniuk, the Comets (5-2, 2-1) responded by cutting Valley’s lead to as little as three points with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
“We moved the ball really well against the full-court press for the entire game,” Valley head coach Dawn Keeton said. “We kind of slacked off on defense a bit in the fourth quarter and they started coming back.”
The Vikings held firm down the stretch to earn the win and claimed sole possession of first place in the 1B Coastal League.
“It’s huge,” Coach Keeton said of the victory. “Our non-league games we played were a huge contribution to this. They got us ready to play and it shows what we can do if we all play together. … This puts us in a good place to build on.”
Valley takes on North Beach on Saturday, Dec. 28 in Ocean Shores.
Naselle 6 7 13 15 – 41
Willapa Valley 17 11 11 6 – 45
Scoring: Naselle – Katyryniuk 23. WV – Keeton 12, Merkel 11, Matlock 10, Fluke 7, Hurley 2, Ashley 2.
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Other games
North Beach 53, Lake Quinault 26
