Area girls win three of four; boys blanked | Basketball

The area’s girls fared much better than the boys Friday night as prep basketball players wrapped up Week 5 of their league seasons. While three of the local girls teams registered Jan. 22 victories, all four boys teams went down to defeat – three of them by 20 points or more. With 10 league contests under their belts, area squads have two more weeks of league action before heading into the world of postseason play – for those who qualify, at least.

By Kevin Hanson • January 26, 2016 12:57 pm
Drew Seabrands gets off a shot for the Hornets despite tough Auburn Riverside defense. The teams met Friday night in Enumclaw
Drew Seabrands gets off a shot for the Hornets despite tough Auburn Riverside defense. The teams met Friday night in Enumclaw

The area’s girls fared much better than the boys Friday night as prep basketball players wrapped up Week 5 of their league seasons.

While three of the local girls teams registered Jan. 22 victories, all four boys teams went down to defeat – three of them by 20 points or more. With 10 league contests under their belts, area squads have two more weeks of league action before heading into the world of postseason play – for those who qualify, at least.

Highlighting the week was the girls team from White River. With a 62-51 victory at River Ridge, the Hornets improved to a perfect 10-0 in South Puget Sound League 2A play and 13-3 overall. Leading the pack is nothing new for coach Chris Gibson and his crew, who make a habit of league titles and state tournament appearances.

Kendall Bird continued a stellar junior campaign by scoring 27 points in Lacey.

The Bonney Lake girls took a 47-41 road win at Auburn Mountainview to break a deadlock with the Lions and slip into second place in the SPSL 3A. The victory pushed the Panthers’ record to 8-2 in league play, 10-6 overall.

Bonney Lake used some balanced scoring to secure the important victory. Brooklyn Gratzer posted 12 points while Shaya McQueen and Samantha Boudreau added 11 apiece.

The Panthers trailed by three heading into the fourth quarter, but used an 18-9 advantage during the final eight minutes to pull away.

Also rolling to victory Friday were the Sumner High girls, who held just a six-point lead heading into the final period of play but broke loose for a 59-43 win on their home court.

With the win, the Spartan girls are sitting in fourth place in the SPSL 3A with a 6-4 record, 8-8 overall.

Friday brought dismal results in local boys play.

Enumclaw was the only squad to come close, falling just two points shy against the undefeated and league-leading Auburn Riverside Ravens. The Hornets outscored the Ravens 20-15 in the final frame but could not clear the final hurdle.

With the loss, Enumclaw is a break-even 5-5 in SPSL 3A play and 8-8 overall. Auburn Riverside improved to 10-0 and 16-0 with the win, which came in Enumclaw High’s Chuck Smith Gymnasium.

The area’s other boys teams didn’t come close.

Bonney Lake was knocked off 66-39 to Auburn Mountainview on the Panthers’ home court, Sumner High dropped a 79-55 contest at Lakes and the White River Hornets were spanked by the highly-ranked River Ridge crew 71-29.

With their losses, Bonney Lake fell to 1-9 in league play, 3-13 overall; Sumner slipped to 5-5 in league but remained an impressive 11-5 overall; and White River dropped to third place in league at 7-3, 10-6.