W.F. West led by as many as 30 and fended off Rochester’s late surge for a 67-63 road victory in a 2A Evergreen Conference contest on Monday.
Dirk Plakinger led the way for the Bearcats, scoring a game-high 20 points, while Cameron Amoroso and Soren Dalan each added nine points and Austin Snyder chipped in eight.
The Bearcats took a big lead early, reeling off a 25-6 run to start the game. They led 43-18 at the break and held a 27-point advantage heading into the final frame.
W.F. West put its reserves in and Rochester went on a scoring explosion, outscoring the Bearcats 29-6 in the fourth quarter, though it wasn’t enough to complete a comeback.
Tyler Klatush paced the Warriors with a game-high 21 points, while Jyson O’Connor added 15 — including three 3-pointers — and Sawyer Robbins finished with 14 points. Tony Groninger pitched in 11 points off three 3-pointers to go with four steals and two blocks.
“Once we settled down in the second quarter, we could get some good looks,” Rochester coach Derrick Pringle said. “In the third, we just told them to stay the course and don’t give in; continue fighting. Great positive effort for our team. This game showed them that if they stay the course, they can compete with anyone.”
Rochester (4-13, 2-7 EvCo) continues league play when it plays host to Aberdeen on Wednesday.
W.F. West (10-6, 7-2 EvCo) heads to Centralia for the second leg of the Swamp Cup on Wednesday.
