The White River boys basketball squad spent another week doggedly hanging in there and trying to jockey its way up the South Puget Sound League 3A standings, but faced adversity as it lost two out of three contests.

The Hornets got their week off on the right foot Jan. 13, outlasting Sumner 59-51 behind the 37 combined points of guards Chad Sayler and Nolan Gibson, but then dropped a pair to Enumclaw Friday and Franklin Pierce Saturday to fall to 2-6 after the first round of league play.

In the emotion-packed rivalry at White River’s gym Friday, the Hornets played perhaps their best game of the season, but it was simply not good enough to topple an Enumclaw group that is currently ranked among the best 3A contingents in the state. White River lost 64-55 despite an urgent comeback try spearheaded by sharpshooting Casey Zimmer in the contest’s waning moments, that saw White River draw to within a point at 55-54.

Exhausted from the previous day’s excitement, White River traveled to Franklin Pierce. Bolstered by the shooting of Gibson and Kenneth Thomas (17 points each) the Hornets streaked to a 23-13 upper hand, but by intermission a fastbreaking Cardinal crew led 43-35 by virtue of ringing up a 30-point second quarter.

White River matched Franklin Pierce point-for-point the rest of the way, but it was too little too late as the quick Cardinals proved too much for the Hornets to handle and won 71-64.

The Hornets will have their mettle tested with another trio of tilts. Having already squared off with Peninsula Tuesday – results came too late to report here – the team heads into hostile territory at 7 p.m. Friday when it invades Clover Park and hosts Auburn Mountainview Saturday, at 7 p.m.

Reach John Leggett at jleggett@courierherald.com or 360-802-8207.