NAPAVINE — Napavine’s impressive stretch continued at home on Friday, when the Tigers picked up an impressive 60-47 non-league victory against Cle Elum-Roslyn.
The Warriors entered the game 14-2 overall and winners of their last six, but the Tigers got out to a quick start to take an early lead.
“They were ready to come play today,” Napavine coach Shane Schutz said. “We knew we were in for a game tonight.”
Napavine opened the game on a 9-0 run, and four first-quarter threes helped the Tigers build a 24-13 lead.
Nicholle Valentine went to work early in the second, scoring the first six Napavine points of the frame, and Hayden Kaut added another three in the final minute of the half to push the lead to 18.
Valentine opened the third with another bucket to make it a 20-point lead, but the offense began to struggle after that. The Tigers turned the ball over 16 times in the second half, leading to some visible frustration from Schutz and his assistants on the bench.
“It was sloppy,” Schutz said. “We gotta fix that. Typically, we’re not like that. Sometimes, when fatigue sets in, fear sets in, and sometimes that’s girls basketball. We need to be better in those situations.”
The Warriors chipped away at the lead, but they weren’t able to take full advantage of the flurry of takeaways. Napavine limited Cle Elum-Roslyn to just seven points off of those 16 takeaways.
Kaut posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Valentine logged a double-double of her own with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Valentine’s double-double comes just three days after an 18-point outing against Mossyrock.
“So huge for us,” Schutz said. “I tell her and Ava (Ondong) all the time, you lift us when you play at a different level. Both of them are starting to understand that.”
Ondong added two points and three rebounds in nine minutes of action.
Taylen Evander added 11 points, six assists, three steals, and two blocks, Sophia Bittner tallied eight points, and Clara Fay added seven points, including six in the opening frame.
With the win, Napavine (13-4, 4-0 C2BL) remains unbeaten against 2B competition, and it has now won five in a row since its last loss, a Jan. 10 matchup against White River.
“It’s important when you’re trying to finish as high as you can and impress that seeding committee,” Schutz said.
The Tigers will be back at practice on Monday in preparation for a Tuesday matchup against Rainier.
“We finally get a weekend off, and we’re gonna take it,” Schutz said. “It’s been a grind of a season, in a good way. It’s time to utilize the weekend and get some rest.”
