Hoquiam’s fast-paced, energetic style of play proved to be too much for the Raymond Seagulls to handle as the Grizzlies earned an 80-47 win in the Raymond Holiday Classic on Tuesday.
Hoquiam (7-1 overall) jumped out to an eight-point lead less than four minutes into the game when senior guard Zander Jump scored to give the Grizzlies a 14-6 advantage.
Hoquiam kept its foot on the gas, closing the first quarter on an 11-2 run. The Grizzlies went up 18-8 when senior Jake Templer recorded one of his game-high six steals and scored on a breakaway layup with 3:21 left. Senior guard Michael Lorton Watkins hit a jump shot and followed with two interior bounce-pass assists on buckets to fellow senior Owen McNeill — sandwiched around Raymond’s Morgan Anderson scoring on a layup — to put the Grizzlies up 25-10 after one period of play.
“The main part of basketball is to have fun, and energy is the fun,” Hoquiam standout senior Justice Stankavich said of his team’s first-quarter onslaught. “The energy is what makes it fun, and when we’re having fun, we play better basketball.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Hoquiam’s Justice Stankavich (23) and Owen McNeill (5) surround Raymond’s Skyler Hutson during the Grizzlies’ 80-47 win in the Raymond Holiday Classic on Tuesday at Raymond High School.
The Grizzlies continued to play better basketball in the second quarter, extending its lead to 37-16 on a Jump offensive rebound and jump shot with 3:20 to go in the first half.
Raymond (5-5) showed some life with a short 6-0 run on junior center Talan Yearout’s offensive board and putback, a steal and layup by senior guard Jarrod Gunderson, and an Anderson drive and layup to cut the deficit to 37-22 with 2:00 left in the second quarter.
After a Grizzlies timeout, Hoquiam was back on track, outscoring the Seagulls 7-3 over the final two minutes of the quarter, capped by a Lorton Watkins three with 0:01 second from well-beyond NBA range to take a commanding 45-25 lead at the half.
The second half was more of the same, with Hoquiam taking a 58-32 lead after back-to-back offensive rebound and putbacks by McNeill before taking a 58-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
Hoquiam’s reserves played the bulk of the final period, outscoring Raymond 22-11 over the final eight minutes to earn the 80-47 win.
“I knew (Hoquiam) played hard and were aggressive, defensively and offensively, and we talked about that we needed to match that energy at the beginning of the game and we weren’t able to do it,” Raymond head coach Mike Tully said. “We talked about it again at halftime and we still weren’t able to do it. They are tough, athletic and they work hard and we just weren’t able to match that tonight.”
As a team, the Grizzlies shot 53% from the field on 35-of-66 shooting and were led by Lorton Watkins with 30 points (11-19, 58%), six assists and six rebounds.
McNeill (18 points, 5 rebounds) and Stankavich (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) also scored in double figures for a Grizzlies team that had seven different players score, had 16 assists as a team and turned the ball over just seven times.
“I thought the guys really shared the ball well and found guys in the right spots at the right times. It gave people an opportunity to make a play,” Hoquiam head coach Jeff Niemi said. “If you can do that, have spacing and have a system, that’s how you can take care of the ball. … The more we do that, the more it will open up for our main scorers. It’s the fun part of basketball — sharing the ball. Everyone gets a touch and we’re starting to do that a little bit.”
Anderson led Raymond with 16 points.
The Seagulls were outrebounded 35-24 and committed 20 turnovers in the contest.
Holiday Classic play continues on Wednesday in Raymond with the Grizzlies taking on South Bend at 2:30 p.m. while Raymond hosts Tenino at 7 p.m.
Hoquiam 25 20 13 22 — 80
Raymond 10 15 11 11 — 47
Scoring: Hoquiam — Lorton-Watkins 30, McNeill 18, Stankavich 11, Jump 8, Hobucket 5, Templer 4, Higgins 4. Raymond — Anderson 16, Yearout 8, Quintana 7, Hutson 5, Heuy 5, Gunderson 2, Snodgrass 2, Jimenez 2.
Columbia-White Salmon 54, Montesano 46
Foul troubles plagued Montesano in a 54-46 loss on Tuesday at home to Columbia-White Salmon.
The Bulldogs (1-6) trailed by a single point at 14-13 at the end of the first quarter as their press defense gave Colombia-White Salmon (3-1) trouble early on.
But foul problems for Monte forward Cam Taylor and center Soren Cobb — combined with turnovers — began to take a toll.
Monte managed just two points on freshman Brian Stevenson’s field goal in the second quarter to trail 23-15 at halftime.
Senior standout Tyce Peterson responded from a two-point first half to score 15 points over the final two quarters of the game.
Junior Jaxson Wilson also heated up in the second half, scoring nine points after going scoreless in the first half.
But it wasn’t enough as without the services of Taylor and Cobb — both of whom fouled out — down the stretch the Bruins handed Monte its sixth loss in seven games this season.
Monte faces North Beach at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Ocean Shores.
Columbia-White Salmon 14 9 16 15 — 54
Montesano 13 2 18 13 — 46
Scoring: CWS — Hamilton 20, Haskell 15, Novtz 9, Flores 6, SAuter 3, Celaya 1. Monte — Peterson 17, Wilson 9, Taylor 7, Stevenson 5, Gunter 3, Dowler 2, Cobb 2, Adams 1.
Napavine 81, Willapa Valley 50
Willapa Valley found itself down big early and never recovered in a 81-50 loss to Napavine on Tuesday at Napavine High School.
The Vikings (5-2) were down 9-0 after the first 1:30 of play that included a four-point play from Napavine junior Grose James.
“It went downhill from there quick,” Willapa Valley head coach Jay Pearson said.
James would finish the first quarter with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
Valley continued to stumble and unable to solve the riddle that was Napavine (5-2), trailing 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Vikings fell behind 51-20 at the half.
Senior Garrett Keeton led Valley with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting (80%) while fellow seniors Derek Fluke (12 points) and Wil Clements (11 points, 7 rebounds) also scored in double figures for a Willapa Valley team that shot 18 for 49 from the field (39%).
The Vikings host Morton-White Pass at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in the first day of the Jack Q. Pearson Holiday Classic in Menlo.
Willapa Valley 0 20 18 12 — 50
Napavine 28 23 14 16 — 81
Scoring: Willapa Valley — Keeton 22, D. Fluke 12, Clements 11, Pearson 2, N. Fluke 2, K. Fluke 1. Napavine — James 45.
Other scores
Raymond Holiday Classic
Tenino 61, South Bend 33
