It’s been a long time coming for the Aberdeen Bobcats, especially for three seniors.

For the first time in four years, the Aberdeen Bobcats girls basketball team defeated Myrtle Street rival Hoquiam 54-37 on Wednesday at Aberdeen High School.

“It feels really good,” said Aberdeen’s Aliyah Tageant, one of three Bobcats seniors along with Emmy Walsh and Annetthe Orona who had entered Wednesday’s game without a win against Hoquiam. “My whole high school career we haven’t beaten them once. So tonight in a home game, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Though Aberdeen (1-3 overall) emerged the victor it was Hoquiam that jumped out to an early lead. The Grizzlies (0-2) took a 9-4 lead midway through the first quarter on a Tauni Hilliard 3-pointer.

But Aberdeen began to assert its will, mostly by pounding the offensive and defensive boards. Tageant and Walsh combined for 11 points in the quarter as the Bobcats had multiple looks at the basket as their size bothered the Grizzlies, who struggled for clean rebounds the entire game.

Aberdeen took a 17-9 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 19-9 on a Madison Gore steal and layup to open the second frame.

Aberdeen freshman Madison Gore scores a layup against Hoquiam sophomore Katie Burnett during Wednesday’s game at Aberdeen High School. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Hoquiam began to chip away at the Bobcats lead, cutting the deficit to 25-23 when Maddi German hit a long baseline jumper on an in-bounds play with one second left on the shot clock.

But that was as close as Hoquiam would get as Aberdeen scored the last five points of the half to take a seven-point lead into the break.

The Bobcats got out to a 15-point lead in the second half when Tageant, who led all scorers with 18 points, hit two free throws to give the Bobcats a 49-34 advantage.

Aberdeen’s defense held Hoquiam to just 12 points in the second half as the Bobcats cruised to the 17 point victory.

It was the first win for the Bobcats in the Myrtle Street Rivalry since beating the Grizzlies 60-46 back on Dec. 8, 2015.

“We kept making some changes and putting on some different pressure defenses, just to try it out, and I think the girls adapted and then started hitting shots,” Aberdeen head coach Rachel Wenzel said. “And then we just started pounding the ball into Aliyah and she pretty much took over in the middle. There wasn’t anything that could stop her.”

Aberdeen senior Aliyah Tageant (21) drives the lane against Hoquiam’s Sharaya Brydon during the Myrtle Street Rivalry game on Wednesday at Aberdeen High School. Tageant led all scorers with 18 points in the contest. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

In addition to Tageant’s big game, Walsh added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while Gore scored eight points and Abby Martinez added seven points for a Bobcats team that shot 21-of-61 from the floor (34%).

Hoquiam was led by Maddi German, who scored nine points for a Grizzlies team that shot 15-of-49 (31%) and was limited by turnovers.

“It’s a great rivalry game with both teams kind of rising up and finding where they are at,” Hoquiam head coach Chad Allan said, who is in his first year coaching at Hoquiam after previously running a successful Grays Harbor College women’s program. “My team is a bit newer in trying to find their roles … We’re just kind of trying to find our way. So they’re kind of scrambling and playing in a rivalry game at the same time.”

Allan acknowledged that Aberdeen played with purpose and their length bothered his team.

“Aberdeen did a great job. They came out with more physicality and effort, especially rebounding, and that caused us to have a lot of turnovers. … We’re just happy to work out the kinks and the mistakes and are happy we get them back again in January.”

The rivalry games continue for Aberdeen as they’ll take on county-rival Montesano at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Montesano High School.

Hoquiam hosts Columbia-White Salmon at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Elma 51, Centralia 27

Elma took an early lead it never relinquished in a 51-27 victory over Centralia on Wednesday in Centralia.

Jalyn Sackrider (23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Ella Moore (12 pts., 9 reb., 3 stl.) led the Eagles (3-1).

Elma faces WF West at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Chehalis.

Elma 14 12 9 16 — 51

Centralia 4 5 10 8 — 27

Raymond 44, Chief Leschi 33

Raymond sophomore Kyra Gardner scored 25 points to lead the Seagulls to a 44-33 victory over Chief Leschi on Wednesday at Chief Leschi High School.

Gardner shot an efficient 9-of-13 from inside the arc as Raymond picked up what head coach Jason Koski dubbed a “very physical road win.”

Raymond (4-0, 3-0 Pacific 2B) held Chief Leschi (2-2, 1-2) to just one 3-point field goal over the final three quarters of the game.

Hannah Miller added seven points for Raymond.

Clallam Bay 56, Taholah 51

Down 17 points in the second half, Taholah rallied but fell short in a 56-51 loss to Clallam Bay on Wednesday at Taholah High School.

Taholah (0-2) was led by Nakeah McCrory, who scored 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the loss. Chitwhins Angel Ancheta (11 pts.) and April Lews (8 pts., 8 reb.) also had sizable contributions on Wednesday.

Four Clallam Bay players scored in double figures, led by Cedar Johnson’s 18 points.

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL

Castle Rock 53, Hoquiam 50

Missed chances late in the game were costly as Hoquiam fell to Castle Rock for the second time this season, losing by a score of 53-50 on Wednesday in Castle Rock.

Down by two with nine seconds left, Hoquiam (1-2) had possession with a chance to tie or win the game, but a wayward pass became a turnover, ending Hoquiam’s bid for a hard-fought road victory.

The Grizzlies went 3-for-11 from the line compared to 11-for-31 for Castle Rock. The Rockets also held a distinct advantage at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, getting to the line 22 times in the frame (hitting on eight of them) while Hoquiam was 0-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth.

Garrett Dick scored 17 points to lead Hoquiam.

Cameron Bumstead added 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while Troy McMinn grabbed eight rebounds for Hoquiam.

Chief Leschi 66, Raymond 63

Too many defensive breakdowns and too many turnovers led to Raymond’s 66-63 loss to Chief Leschi on Wednesday at Chief Leschi High School. A

Raymond (0-3, 0-3 Pacific 2B) recorded 20 turnovers in a game that saw the Seagulls hold a 36-27 lead at halftime.

Tre Seydel led Raymond with 29 points and 12 rebounds.

Adrian Quintana scored eight points and Morgan Anderson scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds for Raymond.

The Seagulls take on Pe Ell at 7 tonight at in Pe Ell.

Raymond 13 23 14 13 — 63

Chief Leschi 8 19 23 16 — 66

Other Scores

Willapa Valley 63, North Beach 41

Ilwaco 74, South Bend 16

PREP BOWLING

Aberdeen 1576, Montesano 1400

The Aberdeen Bobcats got high-series scores from Savannah Hendricks and Victoria Judkins to defeat Montesano 1,576-1,400 on Thursday at Rainier Lanes in Aberdeen.

Hendricks and Judkins tied with identical scores of 286 for the two-game series. Hendricks had the high-game score, bowling a 160 in Game 2.

Aberdeen (1,576) — Sierra Hammond (145, 120, 265); Juli Villa (142, 140, 282); Victoria Judkins (128, 158, 286); Maggie Reyes (101, 114, 215); Savannah Hendricks (126, 160, 286)

Montesano (1,400) — Jessica Reichart (59, 77, 136); Breana Downs (70, 123, 193); Carly Kaive (107, 148, 255); Annalynn Farley (119, 153, 272); Kaylee Lundgren (179, 164, 343)