By Ryan Sparks
The Daily World
Aberdeen basketball teams split with Centralia, and Hoquiam’s girls squad had a balanced game against Taholah in Monday’s sports action on the Twin Harbors.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Centralia 56, Aberdeen 48
After struggling to find its offense in the first half, Aberdeen rallied but fell short in a loss to Centralia in Aberdeen.
The Bobcats (2-5 overall, 1-5 2A Evergreen) found it difficult to put points on the scoreboard in the early going and trailed 31-12 with 2:20 left in the first half.
An Andrew Troeh 3-pointer ended a near three-minute scoring drought for the Bobcats, and after two straight buckets from Jayden Watson to end the half, Aberdeen cut the deficit to 31-18.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen’s Andrew Troeh, left, puts up a jump shot against Centralia’s Landon Kaut during the Bobcats’ 56-48 loss on Monday in Aberdeen.
In the third quarter, Aberdeen played with more energy and urgency to get back into the ballgame.
The Bobcats got to within nine points at 35-26 on a free throw from Jeremy Sawyer with 4:24 left in the third.
A few minutes later, Watson and Sawyer pulled the Bobcats even closer. Watson scored off an inbound pass from Kale Goings and — with Aberdeen pressing the Tigers full court — Sawyer followed with a mid-court steal and layup to seize momentum and cut the Tigers’ lead to 35-30 with 2:14 on the clock.
But in what was a recurring theme in the second half, Centralia responded to hold and extend its lead. The Tigers (2-4 overall, 2A Evergreen) pushed the lead back to 39-30 on a baseline drive by Jayden Parrette and — after Watson hit his fourth shot of the period — Parrette closed out the third with two free throws to put the Tigers up 41-32.
Aberdeen would rally again in the fourth, cutting the Centralia lead to 45-39 on back-to-back buckets by Kayden Seibert with 4:30 left in the game.
The Tigers responded with five straight points to push the lead back out to 11 at 50-39.
With two minutes left in the game, Troeh hit a shot in the paint to put Aberdeen within two buckets at 50-45.
But Centralia was up to the task, scoring four straight points and getting two free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen’s Angel Baltazar, right, makes a pass while being defended by Centralia’s Cameron Erickson during Monday’s game in Aberdeen.
Watson lead Aberdeen with 18 points on 8-of- 15 (53%) shooting.
Troeh and Angel Baltazar added nine points each for Aberdeen.
Centralia had four players score in double figures, led by center Benito Valencia’s 14 points.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Aberdeen 58, Centralia 49
After scoring more than 40 points just once in its first five games of the season, the Aberdeen Bobcats have done it twice in a row, defeating host Centralia on Monday.
The Bobcats (3-4 overall, 3-3 2A Evergreen) held a consistent lead throughout the game despite some early foul troubles.
Maddie Gore led Aberdeen with 19 points on 7-of-17 (41%) shooting, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
Marina Maril added 13 points for a Bobcats team that went 21-for-70 (30%) from the field and 10-for-15 (67%) from the free-throw line.
Skylar Taylor scored six points in the paint as nine different Bobcats got on the scoreboard on Monday.
Centralia (0-6) was led by 17 points from Emily Wilkerson and shot 16-for-52 (31%) from the floor.
“(Centralia) never pulled ahead,” Aberdeen head coach Rachel Wenzel said. “We tried some new things on the defensive side tonight.”
The win is the second straight victory in which the Bobcats have topped 50 points after defeating Shelton 63-22 on Wednesday, May 19.
Hoquiam 66, Taholah 30
The Hoquiam Grizzlies played perhaps their most complete game of the season in a victory over host Taholah.
Hoquiam (5-4 overall) had five different players score at least eight points and held a 28-12 lead at the half.
Sharaya Brydon led Hoquiam with 20 points on an efficient 7-of-9 (78%) shooting. The senior guard did most of her damage in the third quarter, scoring 12 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
Brydon also had eight rebounds, five steals and four assists in the game.
Hoquiam center Chloe Kennedy also had an impressive game, recording a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five steals and four blocked shots.
Sadie Carlyle, Katie Burnett and Kamryn Krohn each finished with eight points on Monday.
“Tonight was a turning point where shots finally started to drop. Players were finding one another and hitting open shots,” Hoquiam head coach Chad Allan said. “What was key was having balanced scoring.”
Taholah (4-2) was led by Angel Ancheta and Keeliani McCrory, who scored seven points each.
Raymond 78, Chief Leschi 29
Nearly as many players for Raymond scored in double figures as Chief Leschi had suit up for the game, as the Seagulls dominated a depleted Warriors team 78-29 on Monday in Puyallup.
Raymond (6-1, overall, 2B Pacific) had four players score in double figures, led by Kyra Gardner’s 25 points, while the Warriors (1-2) were playing with just five players in the team’s first game back from COVID quarantine since May 6.
Gardner recorded a triple-double in the game, as the junior guard added 11 rebounds and 11 assists to her impressive stat line.
Karsyn Freeman (18 points), Kyndal Koski (13 pts.) and Hannah Miller (10 pts.) also scored in double figures for a Raymond team that hit 6-of-10 from 3-point range.
“Give (the Warriors) credit, they played hard and played until the final buzzer,” Raymond head coach Jason Koski said. “Nice to get the road win and get four players in double figures scoring.”
Northwest Christian 44, South Bend 35
South Bend fell just short of a win in a close game in South Bend.
Fouls began to plague South Bend in the first half with Reece Williams and Hannah Jewell having to sit due to foul trouble.
NWC took advantage, outscoring the Indians 9-6 in the second quarter to take a 17-12 lead into the half.
In the fourth quarter, NWC got some breathing room thanks in large part to Mikayla Lanham, who scored nine of her team-high 13 points in the frame.
Zaira Medina led South Bend with 13 points.
Williams had eight points to go along with 10 rebounds and seven blocks with Jewell having a solid all-around floor game with nine rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Elli Capps scored five points and led the Indians with four assists.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE WRESTLING
Chokers win two titles
The Grays Harbor College women’s wrestling team competed in the inaugural USA Wrestling Junior College National Championships for Women May 14-15 and came away with two champions.
Jennifer Tongi won the 155-pound title, winning her first match by pin, then a close 9-8 decision in the semifinals. Tongi came out strong in the finals match and scored a quick pin in the first round to earn the title.
The top-seeded wrestler at 235 pounds, Grays Harbor’s Quinn Lacy, dominated an undefeated Southwest Oregon Community College opponent to earn a fall midway through the first round.
Tatum Pine also made the finals for the Chokers, competing at 130 pounds. Pine had two quick pins in the first rounds of the tournament, but fell to the top seed from Big Bend in the championship match.
Jocelyn Fierro (136, third place), Kamilla Montenegro (170, third place), Andrea Jones (143, fifth place) and Dallas Gomez (130, sixth place) also placed for Grays Harbor.
For more information, visit teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/May/14/Indian-Hills-CC-wins-first-Junior-College-Nationals-for-women.
The second day of competition consisted of a dual meet tournament and, despite being shorthanded and down on points due to forfeits, Grays Harbor knocked off Southwest Oregon 23-20 before falling to Umpqua, 25-24, Big Bend, 30-19, and eventual duals champions Indian Hills, 36-20.
Despite the dual losses, Grays Harbor impressed in head-to-head matchups, winning 22 of 28 contested matches on the day.
Chokers wrestlers Tatum Pine, Jennifer Tongi, Kamilla Montenegro and Quinn Lacy all went 4-0 in the duals.
For more information, visit teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/May/15/Indian-Hills-CC-wins-JCNC-womens-dual-meet-title.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GRAYS HARBOR COLLEGE Grays Harbor wrestler Jocelyn Fierro works from the top position against against Umpqua College’s Maya Lindskog during the third place match in the 136-pound weight class of the USA Wrestling Junior College National Championship for Women on Friday, May 14 in Roseburg, Oregon.
Tongi named Outstanding Wrestler of tournament
Grays Harbor grappler Jennifer Tongi was voted by the coaches as the most Outstanding Wrestler of the USA Wrestling Junior College National Championships for Women tournament in Roseburg, Oregon.
Tongi won the 155-pound weight class on Friday, May 14, followed by an undefeated dual-meet record of 4-0 the following day to go a perfect 7-0 for the weekend.
