Adna takes down Napavine, sits alone atop the C2BL

By Dylan Wilhelm / dylan@chronline.com
Posted 1/11/25

ADNA — Adna and Napavine were the last two remaining teams unbeaten in league play going into their Saturday matinee matchup, and the Pirates got the better of the Tigers, 47-40, in the two …

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Adna takes down Napavine, sits alone atop the C2BL

Posted

ADNA — Adna and Napavine were the last two remaining teams unbeaten in league play going into their Saturday matinee matchup, and the Pirates got the better of the Tigers, 47-40, in the two teams’ first meeting.

With the win, the Pirates (11-2, 8-0 C2BL) have sole possession of first place in the C2BL standings.

The game had the feeling of a postseason matchup from start to finish, as the two teams played gritty, physical basketball in front of a boisterous crowd.

“You don’t need a big motivational speech on this night,” Adna coach Luke Salme said.

As a result, points were tough to come by early on for both teams. The Pirates took a 6-3 lead in the front half of the opening quarter before Napavine ended the first on a 6-0 run across the final four minutes to take a 9-6 lead.

Tempers nearly flared early in the second after an intentional foul led to some pushing and shoving, but nothing more came of it other than a pair of offsetting technicals.

After that, the second was all Adna. The Pirates outscored the Tigers 16-5 in the frame and took an eight-point lead into halftime. They pushed their lead to 11 midway through the third, but Napavine stormed back with a 16-3 lead to take a lead into the fourth.

Unfortunately for the Tigers (9-2, 7-1 C2BL), the fourth was like the second. Adna’s defense was able to lock down Napavine late, and its offense did enough to retake the lead.

It was a welcome sign for Salme, who said he’s been impressed with the way his defense has grown over the season. It’s also the type of game that the Pirates have grown familiar with.

“You have to be able to eventually play man-to-man,” Salme said. “We’ve been playing man-to-man, and every single guy plays bigger than he is … I’m really proud.”

“We haven’t won a pretty game yet,” he continued. “I’m okay with that, and I think they’re okay with that. As long as we compete for 32 minutes, I think we’ll have a chance every time.”

Gavan Muller had one of his best games of the season, posting a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double while shooting 8 for 11 and also tallying three steals and a pair of assists.

“I think that’s a kid who wanted to win pretty, pretty badly tonight,” Salme said.

Grayson Humphrey hit three three-pointers and went on to finish with 13 points and three steals, while Trevin Salme added seven points despite an off-night shooting from the field.

As a team, Napavine finished shooting just over 20 percent on the night, including a mark of just 4 for 28 (14.3 percent) from three.

Beckett Landram led the way with 14 points, four steals, and four rebounds, while Hudson Chambers scored seven points and hauled in 13 rebounds. Karsen Denault was held to just seven points.

“We struggled at times offensively to execute and get quality looks,” Napavine coach Eric Hersman said. “But it’s the middle of January, I’d be concerned if we looked perfect tonight.”

Hersman continues to keep the same mindset he’s had all season, noting that not only will the Tigers face every team a second time, but they’ll likely see many of them a third time at districts.

“We’re just trying to get better every day,” Hersman said. “No matter what, we got each other’s back, and we play for each other … Everybody is really stepping up and working hard every day. We got a lot of really good things going for us.”

The Pirates and Tigers will meet again in Napavine on Jan. 29, but both teams have several matchups before the rematch.

Napavine will host Coupeville in a non-league game on Monday, while Adna will be at home again to host Winlock on Tuesday.