The Montesano Bulldogs locked up their fifth-consecutive league title as we review prep hoops action on the Harbor.

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL

Montesano 56, Elma 34

Though they started the season with one of its youngest, most inexperienced squads in recent memory, the Montesano Bulldogs still finished on top.

Pulling away with a big second quarter, Monte downed the Eagles 56-34 on Thursday at Bo Griffith Memorial Gymnasium in Montesano, winning the 1A Evergreen League title for the fifth-straight season.

“We were really cheering in there,” Monte forward Lex Stanfield said of the Bulldogs’ postgame locker-room celebration. “It means a lot to us. We’ve been working hard a lot and have been trying to get this spot and we’re really glad we made it this far.”

“I’m just so proud of them,” Montesano head coach Mark Mansfield said. “They never wavered. They come out to work and play hard. They’re going to make some mistakes, but they just kept playing hard and did the stuff we need to do to be successful.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano sophomore Lex Stanfield (10) drives the baseline against Elma senior Eliza Sibbett during the Bulldogs’ 56-34 victory on Thursday in Montesano.

After a close, low-scoring first quarter that saw the Bulldogs (11-8 overall, 7-0 1A Evergreen) hold an 8-5 lead over Elma (6-9, 3-3), Monte asserted its will, outscoring the Eagles 24-8 in the second frame thanks in large part to Stanfield, who scored nine points in the frame.

A Stanfield steal-layup-and-1 followed by a corner three put Monte up 32-10 just before Elma senior Aaleigha Weld hit an NBA-range three at the buzzer as Monte took a commanding 32-13 lead at the half.

“Credit to Monte, they had a great full-court press and we didn’t respond to it well, initially,” Elma head coach Brandi Thomas said. “We started to get ourselves in a little hole and we just couldn’t seem to stop fouling.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma senior Aaleigha Weld shoots from long range during a 56-34 loss to Montesano on Thursday at Montesano High School.

“Our No. 1 bullet-point for every game is that we have to win with our defense,” Mansfield said. “We made some adjustments to one of our presses and we didn’t really execute it. At the (end of the first) quarter, we talked about what we wanted to do and we started doing it. We created a couple of turnovers and got some quick baskets to stretch that lead out.”

Despite outscoring and outrebounding Monte in the third quarter, Elma would get no closer than 16 points in the second half as Monte would extend its league winning streak to 30 games.

Sophomore forward Jillie Dalan led Monte with 17 points, including 9-of-16 foul shots (56%), and had 10 rebounds for Monte.

Stanfield scored 15 points and was a red-hot 4 for 4 from the 3-point line. The sophomore forward, who has emerged as one of the league’s premiere players as the season has advanced, led Monte with seven steals.

“It felt really good,” Stanfield said of her hot-shooting night. “I got some really good passes from (Monte point guard) Tieander Olson and I’d look down low and there would be a lot of people on Jillie (Dalan). I had the shot so I just took it and they kept going in.”

PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano’s Tieander Olson, left, and Elma’s Keke Bol go for a loose ball during the Bulldogs’ 56-34 win on Thursday in Montesano.

Olson scored 12 points and led the Bulldogs with seven assists as Monte went 19 for 58 as a team from the field (33%) and 13 of 26 from the free-throw line (50%).

Elma was led by Weld, who had 11 points for an Eagles team that hit 11-of-55 shots (20%) and committed 15 fouls in the contest.

“There might have been a tad bit of frustration,” Thomas said of her team’s struggles. “We were very proud of their defensive effort. They executed our game plan and did what we asked them to do and I’m proud of them for that. … We were getting looks, offensively, but they just didn’t want to fall. … At the end of the day, they have to go in to win basketball games.”

Monte faces former Raymond standout Karsyn Freeman and her new team, the Adna Pirates, in a non-league matchup at 7 p.m. on Monday in Adna.

Elma, which still has a chance to earn the 1A Evergreen’s No. 2 playoff seed, takes on Tenino at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Tenino.

Elma 5 8 16 5 – 34

Monteano 8 24 13 11 – 56

Scoring: Elma – Aal. Weld 11, E. Sibbett 7, Bol 6, Spencer 5, Moore 4, Lewis 1. Montesano – Dalan 17, Stanfield 15, Olson 12, Foster 5, Parsons 3, Schrader 2, Jones 2.

Willapa Valley 66, Naselle 38

Willapa Valley had its most complete performance of the season with a 66-38 victory over Naselle on Thursday in Menlo.

The Vikings (10-9, 6-4 1B Columbia Valley) had four players score in double figures and outscored the Comets 39-19 in the second half to pick up a key 1B Columbia Valley League victory.

“It was the most together our team has played all year,” Valley head coach Dawn Keeton said. “Having three starters and a bench player coming in and putting up double-digits was a phenomenal team effort and after much work, we were finally able to get through a hard-pressing Naselle team.”

Valley went 20 for 50 from the field (40%) and had a healthy dose of free-throw shooting, converting 20-of-36 foul shots (56%).

Vikings sophomore guard Rilyn Channell scored 20 points to lead Valley.

Eighth-grader Tylar Keeton (15 points), junior forward Addison Merkel (12 pts.) and sophomore guard Kylee Fluke (10 pts., 4 assists) also scored in double digits while senior forward Hadlee Russell had three points and a team-high 10 rebounds on Senior Night.

Valley had 41 rebounds as a team, 11 steals and 11 assists while committing 16 turnovers.

In addition to Russell, Valley honored seniors Emily Wilson and Lena Clerc on Senior Night.

Valley has a non-league game against Ocosta at 6 p.m. on Monday in Westport.

Naselle 9 10 13 6 – 38

Willapa Valley 11 16 20 19 – 66

Scoring: Naselle – Katyryniuk 22. Willapa Valley – Channell 20, Keeton 15, Merkel 12, Fluke 10, Matlock 4, Russell 3, Wilson 2.

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL

Forks 57, Ocosta 51

Ocosta’s huge fourth-quarter rally fell just short in a 57-51 loss to Forks on Thursday in Westport.

The Wildcats (5-12, 3-8 2B Pacific) trailed 36-16 at the half due in large part to 13 turnovers and nine Forks offensive rebounds over the first 16 minutes of the game, leading to what Wildcats head coach Jason Quinby dubbed “a rather lackadaisical first half.”

“I challenged the guys to do some soul searching and find a way to play some inspiring basketball,” Quinby said.

Despite heeding Quinby’s words with a better performance in the third quarter, Ocosta trailed by 21 points heading into the final period.

The Wildcats then flipped the switch, using intense defensive pressure, crashing the boards and befitting from some timely shooting to cut the deficit to three with a minute left in the game.

Ocosta had a chance to creep even closer, but the Wildcats failed to convert two free throws and cash in on a subsequent offensive rebound.

The Spartans (11-7, 7-3) hit their free throws in the game’s waning moments to hand Ocosta the loss.

Tarren Lewis scored a game-high 25 points – 10 in the fourth quarter – and had five steals for Ocosta.

Wildcats Kayden Turner (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) and Jesus Agramon (4 pts., 5 ast.) were commended by Quinby for their performances.

Ocosta hosts Ilwaco at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Forks 20 16 13 8 – 57

Ocosta 7 9 12 23 – 51

Scoring: Forks – Lausche 13, Micheau 9, Davis 7, Olsen 6, Lohrengel 6, Salazar 5, Hernandez-Stansbury 5, Rowley 2, Highfield 2. Ocosta – Lewis 25, Kay. Turner 11, Priest 6, Agramon 4, Prigmore 3, Beard 2.

PHOTO BY MATT THE PHOTOGRAPHER North Beach’s Tyrell Hovland (14) dunks in a win over South Bend on Thursday in Ocean Shores.

North Beach 72, South Bend 21

North Beach capped off a successful Senior Night with a 72-21 victory over South Bend on Thursday in Ocean Shores.

The Hyaks (7-12, 5-8 2B Pacific) led by 18 after one quarter and pulled away with a 23-6 second quarter to lead 41-12 at the half.

“It was an awesome Senior Night for our Hyaks,” said North Beach head coach Larry Moore, whose seniors Tyrrell Curry Sith, Tyrell Hovland, Kobe Charley, Atticus Lauderdale and Isaac Bighead were honored before the game. “They played inspired basketball. It was fun to watch.”

The Hyaks went 29 of 53 from the floor (55%) and were led by Kobe Charley (17 points) and Jeremiah Eastman Jr. (16 pts.).

Atticus Lauderdale had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Tyrrell Curry Sith led North Beach with eight assists.

North Beach plays at Ilwaco at 7 p.m. on Monday.

South Bend 6 6 5 4 – 21

North Beach 18 23 17 14 – 72

Scoring: South Bend – Flynn 5, Silva Diaz 3, Bucio 2, Ridderbush 2, Camacho 2, Mora 2, Maneman 2, Camarena Ojeda 2. North Beach – K. Charley 17, Eastman 16, Lauderdale 10, Hovland 8, Curry Sith 6, Bighead 6.