Willapa Valley beat Ocosta and Raymond and Aberdeen square off for the first time in decades as we review Saturday’s prep basketball games on the Harbor.
GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
Willapa Valley 40, Ocosta 28
Willapa Valley’s defense came up big in a 40-28 win over Ocosta on Saturday at Willapa Valley High School.
The Vikings (4-1 overall) were led by junior forward Addison Merkel, who came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting (64%), including going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc (66%).
“The key was Addison Merkel,” Willapa Valley head coach Dawn Keeton said. “She’s come off the bench the last four games and has been a huge contributor. She’s able to get a good look from the bench at the defense and puts herself in position to take amazing shots.”
Ocosta (3-3) was outscored 22-12 in the second half and scored single digits in three of the game’s four quarters.
The Wildcats were led by senior post Alexia Bradley, who scored 12 points in the game.
No other Ocosta player scored more than six points.
Keeton said the coaching staff had Willapa Valley well prepared to deal with Ocosta’s weapons.
”We watched a lot of tape. We saw their strengths and we practiced it,” she said. “We emphasized that when they get it down in the post, we have to help. We were able to deflect a lot of passes into the post and we were able to keep (Ocosta guard Bristol) Towle in front of us and not let her get by, and when she did, were were able to help.”
Willapa Valley plays at Taholah at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Ocosta faces North Beach at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in Ocean Shores.
Ocosta 4 12 5 7 – 28
Willapa Valley 12 6 10 12 – 40
Scoring: Ocosta – Bradley 12, Davis 6, Towle 5, Rasmus 5. WV – Merkel 18, Keeton 7, Russell 6, Channel 5, Matlock 2, Fluke 2.
Other scores
Quilcene 19, Willapa Valley 15
Pe Ell 65, Willapa Valley 15
BOYS PREP BASKETBALL
Raymond 47, Aberdeen 42
It’s been nearly 60 years since Raymond and Aberdeen’s boys basketball teams faced off against one another, and the game didn’t disappoint.
Raymond tied the game in the final moments and took control in overtime to pull off a 47-42 win in the first meeting between the two teams since the 1965-66 season, according to Raymond school officials.
“It definitely wasn’t the prettiest basketball game I’ve ever seen, but it was a pretty exciting one,” said Raymond head coach Mike Tully, whose team battled back from a 10-point deficit to tie the game late in the fourth quarter and won in overtime. “Coming off of the loss to Ilwaco last night, I’m proud of the way our guys battled through the fatigue.”
After a slow first quarter where both teams combined to score just 10 points, Raymond (2-2 overall) took an 11-6 lead early in the second quarter before Aberdeen (1-4) charged back with a long run to lead 26-16 at the half, paced by 11 points from guard Manny Garcia in the frame.
But a Bobcats offense that scored 22 points in the second quarter, managed just five against the Seagulls’ 2-3 zone defense in the third as Raymond cut the deficit to two at 31-29 heading into the fourth quarter.
Down 39-34 with two minutes left in the game, Raymond standout guard Chris Quintana hit two free throws and – after a few scoreless possessions for both teams – drove to the hoop and was fouled with 22.5 seconds left.
Quintana hit the first free throw then missed the second, but Raymond sophomore Chris Banker was there for the offensive rebound and putback to tie the game at 39-all.
The Seagulls then got a stop on the other end to force overtime.
In the extra period, Quintana scored to give the Seagulls their first lead since early in the second quarter.
Raymond outscored the Bobcats 8-3 in the extra period to earn the victory.
“We showed a lot of guts battling back and made plays when we needed them,” Tully said. “It was a great team win.”
Quintana finished with a game-high 23 points – including hitting 6-of-8 free throws combined in the fourth quarter and overtime – while senior post Talan Yearout had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Dalton Welch added 10 rebounds for Raymond.
The Seagulls shot 32% from the field on 16-of-50 shooting and got to the free-throw line 24 times, converting 15 from the charity stripe (62.5%).
Aberdeen was led by Garcia and senior forward Baylor Ainsworth, with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
The Bobcats host Hoquiam at 7 p.m. Monday.
Raymond has a league game scheduled against Chief Leschi at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday in Raymond.
Aberdeen 4 22 5 8 3 – 42
Raymond 6 10 13 10 8 – 47
Scoring: Aberdeen – M. Garcia 14, Ainsworth 10, Quezada 9, Brooks 8, Ancich 1. Raymond – Quintana 23, Yearout 13, Banker 5, Welch 4, Snodgrass 2.
Omak 80, Hoquiam 63
A second-half surge led to Hoquiam’s second-consecutive loss at the Native American Classic, falling 80-63 to Omak on Saturday at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee.
The Grizzlies (3-2) were locked in a close game with the Pioneers (4-0) thanks in large part to sophomore guard Joey Bozich’s 18 points on six 3-pointers in the first half.
Down two at halftime after leading for much of the first half, Hoquiam saw the game start to slip away in the third quarter after its offensive output slowed to just seven points in the third quarter.
The Pioneers took advantage, extending their lead to 12 points heading into the fourth period.
“We came out the locker room and had a really tough third quarter and that was pretty much the game,” Hoquiam head coach Jeff Niemi said. “We never really climbed back in it after that.”
Playing in its second game against a high-level opponent in as many days, Niemi said Saturday’s loss was part mental and part physical.
“We basically played six all weekend. I had two kids that play a lot that were unable to make the trip,” he said. “So it was a combination of tired legs and the mental part of being locked in against teams that just keep coming at you with the pace we’ve faced the last two nights.”
Senior Zander Jump had another solid floor game with 19 points, nine rebounds, five steals and three assists for the Grizzlies.
Aiden Butcher had 10 rebounds while Lincoln Niemi added nine rebounds and five assists for Hoquiam, which shot 44% from the field on 22-of-50 shooting and hit 11-of-15 free throws (73%).
Hoquiam committed 25 turnovers, which gave Omak extra chances. The Pioneers went 34-of-71 from the field (48%).
Hoquiam plays at Aberdeen at 7 p.m. on Monday.
Hoquiam 21 13 7 22 – 63
Omak 18 18 17 27 – 80
Scoring: Hoquiam – Jump 19, Bozich 18, Bryson 9, Butcher 9, Niemi 8. Omak – Boyd 16, Mullin 16, X. Devereaux 14, Sam 10, Seymuur 7, K. Devereaux 6, Guard 5, Arroyo 4.
Elma 67, Forks 53
Elma turned the game around in the second half to defeat Forks 67-53 on Saturday at Forks High School.
The Eagles (3-2) led by just two points at halftime, leading to some stern words from head coach Matt Ferrier at the break.
“I would say that our first half was completely blundersome. Twice this week we have played this way and squeaked out victories,” he said. “Challenged them at the half that they are squandering their success with lapses of judgment and decision making.”
Ferrier words were effective as the Eagles outscored the Spartans 21-13 in the third quarter and were “electrified” by a one-handed dunk by Eagles standout guard Cason Seaberg.
“Although we are struggling to start games, we are finishing them with a ton of resilience,” Ferrier said. “This group of guys seem to perform their best when our backs are against the wall, but it’s concerning because eventually someone is going to pin us against and not let us off of it.”
Seaberg led Elma with 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting (50%).
AJ Holmes had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds while senior guard Grant Vessey was commended by Ferrier for having a “steady Eddie” game with nine points, three rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal.
The Eagles shot 42% as a team on 26-of-62 shooting, had 16 steals – five each by juniors Traden Carter and Theo Flores – and 11 turnovers.
Elma will face The Dalles (Oregon) in an invitational tournament game at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Elma 18 9 21 19 – 67
Forks 16 9 13 15 – 53
Scoring: Elma – Seaberg 21, Holmes 15, Studer 9, Vessey 9, Carter 6, Murray 3, Flores 2, McGaffey 2.
Other scores
Taholah 50, Tulalip Heritage 45
Quilcene 63, Lake Quinault 20
