Mountaineers score final 35 points, zap Cardinals 59-10

Rainier held Winlock scoreless for over 21 minutes

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If the Rainier High School girls basketball team didn’t score a point after the first quarter against the Winlock Cardinals, the Mountaineers still would’ve won by double digits. Rainier got off to a blazing start against the struggling Cardinals and finished them off by scoring the final 35 points in the final 21 minutes to win 59-10 Tuesday, Jan. 21.

The Mountaineers forced 22 turnovers in the victory and were led by senior Bryn Beckman, who notched a season-high 16 points, 14 of which came in the first quarter. After Rainier led 38-10 at halftime, head coach Brandon Eygabroad challenged his team in the locker room.

“I said, ‘10 is too many for us in this circumstance against that team. I don’t care if they’re banking in 3s or not. I challenged them to hold them to two points per quarter,” he said. “We celebrated a little bit because we overachieved slightly.”

The Mountaineers trailed out of the gate as Winlock senior Natalie Cardenas banked in a triple from the top of the key, but they quickly responded with 13 unanswered points. Rainier started the night 3-3 from downtown, with two coming from a wide-open Beckman, and punished the Cardinals’ sloppy passes with transition baskets.

The home team was jazzed up by the return of junior guard Jazzlyn Shumate, who missed the last four games with a knee injury. Rainier’s defense had a different energy with her and Beckman hounding Winlock ballhandlers all night.

“They both bring a little more physicality to our game. Jazzy and Bryn are not afraid of bumping and being physical. Having both of them out there really sets a tone on the defensive side of the basketball,” Eygabroad said. 

Senior Angelica Askey helped Rainier cruise to the finish line with a barrage of buckets in the third quarter following a quiet first half. The running clock started midway through the third, and Rainier closed out the dominant performance by holding Winlock without a point since the 5:08 mark in the second quarter.

Askey finished the night as one of three players in double figures with 10, along with Beckman’s game-high 16 and Brooklynn Swenson’s 11. Janess Blackburn and Lexi Beckman each pitched in eight points, as well.

Eygabroad was happy to see Bryn Beckman continue to find her footing on the court in her fifth game back after missing the first month with a knee injury. She not only created her own open shots but helped produce looks for others with her passes, and she was one of the more vocal leaders on the court.

“We’ve eased her in. She’s 100% right now, and she’s playing good defense. She’s shooting the ball well. It’s really nice to see her getting back to rhythm, not just for the team but for her,” Eygabroad said. “She put a lot of work into this, and [for her] to have a little bit of her senior year is really cool.”

Rainier (12-3, 3-1 Central 2B League) hits the road Thursday, Jan. 23 for a 7 p.m. date with Morton-White Pass (8-7, 0-3 C2BL) before traveling to face unbeaten 1B Neah Bay on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. The Mountaineers will return home Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. to host Napavine.