Hunter Howell stepped back into the starting lineup for the Rainier High School boys basketball team after missing four games and made an immediate impact in his return. The senior scored 15 points and led the Mountaineers to a 64-51 non-league win over Eatonville Monday, Dec. 30.
“He didn’t look like he missed any time at all,” Rainier head coach Ben Sheaffer said of Howell. “He was really light on his feet and played with good activity, especially on offense.”
While the Mountaineers are still shorthanded with injuries to two starters, Howell’s return after winter break was a spark plug for a Rainier team that had lost three of its last four coming into Monday’s game.
He, along with his fellow starters, pierced the Cruisers defense early and often with drives into the paint for easy layups. Six of Rainier’s seven first-quarter field goals were layups either on dribble drives or off of passes as the Mountaineers took a 16-13 lead into the second quarter.
The aggressive approach carried into the second as Nehemiah Linson exposed gaps in Eatonville’s transition defenses and got to the basket for a pair of layups. While their outside shots weren’t falling early, the Mountaineers also crashed the offensive glass and capitalized on their second chances.
Jake Meldrum closed out the first half with a pair of 3-pointers, including one just before the halftime buzzer to give Rainier a 34-21 advantage. Meldrum and Howell each scored 10 points in the first 16 minutes, and Howell in particular flashed his skills forcing takeaways and finding efficient shots in transition.
“He does a lot of things that go unnoticed. He’s a great defender. He can guard one through five,” Sheaffer said of Howell. “With his offensive game, when he gets his feet in the paint, he’s so strong. He did a nice job playing through contact. We’re happy to have him back.”
Both teams continued the fast pace in the opening moments of the second half, but the game slowed down significantly as the officials blew their whistles on nearly every drive to the basket. Rainier shot just five free throws in the first half while Eatonville attempted four, with both teams hitting only one. But in the second half, Rainier spent ample time at the charity stripe, shooting 11 of 16 on attempts, and Eatonville knocked down 13 of 18. The free throws helped the Mountaineers close out a 64-51 victory.
Jake Meldrum led all scorers with 19 points while Howell added 15 and James Meldrum contributed 11 points.
Sheaffer said he and his coaching staff will have to make some adjustments on defense to prevent foul trouble. Linson fouled out, and Howell and James Meldrum each committed four fouls.
“We just continue to get into foul trouble. That was one thing we have to clean up. When you have a late lead like that, the last thing you want to do is foul,” Sheaffer said. “I just have to be better at defining what aggression is based on time and score. It’s nice when you know what you need to work on.”
Rainier will likely get another of its starters back heading into the new year as Peyton Sheaffer is working to return from a high ankle sprain suffered Dec. 14 in the Mountaineers’ loss at Adna. He hasn’t played since, but the junior warmed up with the team before Monday’s game and has been practicing.
“He’s close. Those high ankle sprains are tough, but he’s been practicing,” Ben Sheaffer said. “We were a little cautious tonight with it being a non-league game. We want to make sure that he’s ready to go for the ones that really matter, and we expect him to play moving forward.”
Rainier (6-3, 3-3 Central 2B League) now dives into a seven-game stretch of C2BL competition, beginning with a road bout with Winlock (4-4, 3-3 C2BL) on Friday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. before hosting Toledo (8-1, 4-1 C2BL) on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.
