GIRLS BASKETBALL

Elma 63, Raymond 42

Elma closed out the first quarter on a 15-0 run and never looked back in a dominant 21-point season-opening win at home against Raymond on Tuesday.

The Eagles soared past the Seagulls 63-42 on a night where a mixture of injuries and took Molly Johnston, Brooke Sutherby and Kassedy Olson out of the lineup.

With three senior starters missing from action, Quin Mikel stepped up and dropped 21 points. Jalyn Sackrider posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on a night where Elma had to rely on its bench to contribute major minutes.

“I think that’s what’s great about this team, we have balance and depth,” Elma head coach Lisa Johnson said. “They step in and fill any role that’s needed on the court.”

Raymond struggled to hit shots in the first quarter and didn’t get much scoring outside of Kyra Gardner who accounted for half of her team’s scoring to finish with 21 points.

Raymond coach said he isn’t too worried about the loss with some of the bad luck on offense and the talent Elma brought to the court.

“I wasn’t discouraged with the shots we were getting, we just didn’t hit them,” he said. “Elma is one of the top teams in the state so for us, getting a chance to play a team of this caliber is a good thing.”

Raymond’s Kyra Gardner blocks a shot from Elma’s Kali Rambo on Tuesday. (Hasani Grayson | Grays Harbor News Group)

Elma will continue its non-league schedule with a home game against Napavine on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Raymond will go into the league schedule with a game against Napavine on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Eagles won’t be at full strength for its next matchup but Johnson is encouraged her team can handle missing some starters after Tuesday’s performance.

”I’m just really proud of how the girls stepped up and the junior varsity filled in when we needed it,” she said.

Raymond 3 11 12 16 – 42

Elma 17 15 27 4 – 63

Top Players: Raymond – Gardner (21 pts.); Elma – Sackrider (14 pts, 10 rebs), Mikel (15 pts. 5 steals), Kali Rambo (10 pts., 5 steals)

Toldeo 41, Ocosta 33

Ocosta couldn’t quite find its stride in its first game of the season and fell to Toledo 41-33 in a home opener on Tuesday.

Kaylee Barnum was the only player in double figures with 15 points on a night where the Wildcats struggled to find a rhythm.

“We had first game jitters and struggled in our offense. It was back-and-forth all night. We just couldn’t hit shots at the end of the game,” Ocosta head coach Jason Barnum said.

In addition to their trouble scoring, Ocosta had trouble stopping Toledo’s Kal Schaplow, who took over in the second half and ended the game with 22 points.

Ball security was also a factor for Ocosta, which turned the ball over 26 times, double the amount of turnovers committed by the Indians.

The Wildcats will try to bounce back from the loss with a matchup at Pe Ell on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Barnum said he is confident his team can make the necessary adjustments before the next game.

“Everything we struggled in was very fixable,” he said. “We played well defensively and I felt comfortable with the way we played, for the most part.”

Ocosta 5 13 7 8 – 33

Toldeo 6 12 7 16 – 41

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL

Tenino 54, Raymond 47

The Seagulls sputtered offensively in the second half in a season-opening loss to Tenino Monday night in Raymond.

The Seagulls got off to a strong start, leading the Beavers 30-20 at halftime, but saw the lead dwindled as Raymond couldn’t get shots to fall late in the game.

Raymond head coach Derek Rask said foul trouble contributed to his team falling out of its rhythm.

“We got into foul trouble in the third quarter, which changed the pace of the game in favor of Tenino,” he said. “We simply had a poor second half, and they took advantage of our struggles on both ends of the floor.”

Yngwie Dowies led the way for Tenino’s comeback with a game-high 23 points.

Raymond’s Devine Souvannavanh helped keep Raymond in the game with eight rebounds and a team-leading 16 points.

PREP BOWLING

WF West 15, Aberdeen 3

Aberdeen had a tough time keeping up with an undefeated WF West team in a 15-3 loss to the Bearcats on Monday at Fairway Lanes in Centralia.

Aberdeen’s Bryerlee Perry collected 305 pins to lead the Bobcats on her way to defeating Leslie Erwin in both of their matchups.

Kaitlyn Martin accounted for Aberdeen’s other match victory with a close 149-147 win over Jessica Loflin.

WF West improved its record to 4-0 with the win.