Following a tight first half, the Onalaska Loggers blew the game open with a huge second-half scoring burst against the Winlock Cardinals Thursday night in a 57-28 blowout.
The victory marked Onalaska’s first win of the season.
The Loggers’ defense was stout in the first quarter, holding Winlock to just three points in the first eight minutes. But both offenses came alive in the second quarter, as did the packed Winlock gym as the Cardinals made a run.
But the Loggers’ defense locked in for the final 16 minutes as they allowed just 11 points from Winlock. In total, the Cardinals surrendered 33 turnovers and shot just 23% from the floor.
“We have been working on defensive intensity all week after the Napavine loss, and after a slow start, our aggressiveness paid off,” Onalaska head coach Fred Sturza said. “Offensively, we didn’t shoot well, but our defense became our offense. I was proud of the effort tonight. When we did score, we shared the ball really well.”
Maddox McKinley led all scorers with 14 points, while Austin Sturza, Ethan Thayer and Noland Brady added 10 points apiece. Brady also set the tone defensively with three charges drawn. Fred Sturza also credited Brodey Triana and Haze Hamrick’s defensive energy off the bench.
Sam Hunt paced the Cardinals with a dozen points and seven rebounds on an efficient 6 of 8 shooting. Freddy Patching struggled from the floor shooting 1 of 11 but scored seven points and dished out three assists.
Onalaska (1-2, 1-2 Central 2B League) hosts Toledo for its home opener Saturday night, while Winlock (1-3, 1-2 C2BL) will play two more games this week, hosting Stevenson Friday night and Mossyrock Saturday night.
