Favored Hoquiam basketball teams easily took care of business in opening Evergreen 1A League play with a co-ed doubleheader sweep.
Leading all the way, the Grizzly boys cruised past Tenino, 65-42, in the opening game of the twin bill Tuesday night at Hoquiam Square Garden.
Karlie Krohn’s 18 points helped Hoquiam beat the painfully short-handed Tenino girls, 69-44, in the nightcap.
In an oddity, Tenino produced the leading individual scorer in both games. Kaylee Schow scored her team’s first 16 points en route to a 28-point performance in the girls game. Tenino’s Yngwie Dowies tallied a game-high 25 points in the boys contest.
The Grizzlies, needless to say, were far more balanced. Four players reached double figures in the boys game and three HHS girls followed suit later.
BOYS
Grizzlies 65, Beavers 42
Hoquiam’s Rayyon Dayton, Bryson Eccles and Jackson Folkers needed less than 2 1/2 minutes to combine for the game’s opening nine points. The Grizzlies (1-0, 3-8) never looked back against winless Tenino.
The Grizzlies capitalized on their superior size to work the ball inside to the 6-foot-5 Dayton and 6-2 Matt Brown at every opportunity. Although their ball-handling out front was periodically ragged, their entry passes were generally sound throughout.
The Grizzlies also forced 25 Beaver turnovers, many of them triggering transition opportunities.
“It was important for us to get the first league win confidence-wise,” Hoquiam coach Curtis Eccles said. “I thought, for the most part, we utilized our game plan by getting the ball inside.”
Brown, who missed Hoquiam’s trip to the Yakima SunDome tournament last week due to illness, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Folkers added 11 points and Dayton and senior wing Victor James 10 points apiece.
Hoquiam’s Payton Quintanilla came relatively close to registering a triple-double — without scoring being one of the categories. Although he tallied only four points, the junior wing amassed nine rebounds, eight steals and seven assists.
GIRLS
Grizzlies 69, Beavers 44
After struggling mightily with its shooting early in the season, Hoquiam connected at a 48 percent clip in this one.
That was the byproduct of excellent ball movement, particularly in the middle two quarters. The Grizzlies (1-0, 6-5) didn’t make a 3-point basket — nor did they need one due to a surplus of inside opportunities.
“We preach ball movement,” Hoquiam coach Mark Maxfield said. “When we’re able to make that extra pass, that provides open shots.”
Tenino (0-1, 4-5) has only six players in its entire girls basketball program. For a brief period, it seemed like possessing Schow might be enough, as she produced all of her team’s scoring in a 14-8 Beaver lead late in the first quarter.
The Grizzlies, however, switched to a 1-3-1 zone to slow down Schow. Cashing in on Tenino turnovers, Hoquiam reeled off the next 13 points — with Krohn and Rylee Vonhof combining for 10 of them— to grab a permanent lead.
Sophomore forward Maddie German collected a double-double for Hoquiam with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Junior guard Maya Jump had a fine all-around game with 10 points, four steals and a fistful of assists.
Both Hoquiam teams will travel to Elma later in the week. The boys will visit the Eagles on Thursday, with the girls making the trip the following night.
BOYS
Tenino 6 7 12 17 — 42
Hoquiam 17 19 13 16 — 65
Tenino (42) — Villa 2, Sanders 4, Russell 6, Dowies 25, Deoskey 1, Brewer, Malanitch 4. FG — 17-44 (.386). FT — 7-12.
Hoquiam (65) — Dayton 10, Eccles 4, Folkers 11, Quintanilla 4, James 10, Brown 19, Morales 4, Smith 3, Larsen. FG — 28-68 (.412). FT — 4-7.
GIRLS
Tenino 14 6 12 12 — 44
Hoquiam 12 20 20 17 — 69
Tenino (44) — Letts 7, Mathis 4, Schow 28, Bertsch, Dowies 3, Craig 2. FG — 15-55 (.273). FT — 10-14.
Hoquiam (69) — Jade Cox 5, Jump 10, Bagwell 6, Krohn 18, German 13, Vonhof 8, Strom 5, Jordan Cox 4, Bogdanovich. FG — 31-65 (.477). FT — 7-12.
