Now that Enumclaw High’s girls basketball team has caught up to the learning curve, the Hornets – despite a 2-8 mark in South Puget Sound League 3A play – are making things difficult for the league’s pacesetting squads.

Enumclaw has been a thorn in the side of Lakes, Franklin Pierce, White River and Sumner. It was a different story Jan. 19, when Bonney Lake dispatched Enumclaw 64-31.

Bonney Lake seems to own EHS, having coasted to a 31-point victory, 69-38, when the teams met earlier in the season.

Friday, against Sumner, Enumclaw created an uprising in quarter number four, as it got rowdy and rallied for 16 points after scoring only five in the previous quarter. The flurry took the final to a respectable 60-48 SHS win.

Perhaps the reason for this fourth period run by EHS was Sumner’s focus on Enumclaw guard Hayley Kohler, one of the top dozen scorers in the SPSL 3A. By that late stage of the battle Kohler had already tabulated most of her 19 points. The versatile Kohler, who had her finest overall outing of the campaign, also gathered in 18 rebounds.

“In the fourth period we switched over from a girl-on-girl defense to a high pressure zone and our defensive energy increased substantially, as we began to get a lot of fast break scoring opportunities on offense,” coach Beth Madill said.

The Hornets made the bus trip west to Peninsula High Tuesday night, with results coming too late to report here; they will be posted at www.courierherald.com.

Enumclaw will host 0-11 Clover Park Friday.