Learning to operate without its leading scorer, the Adna boys basketball team put a promising first foot forward Thursday, beating 1A Elma 63-58 on the road.
“We did a really good job battling the whole night,” Adna coach Luke Salme said.
The Pirates (1-0) were without Braeden Salme, and will have to operate without him for at least a couple of months after the all-area guard suffered an injury that required surgery in the first week of practice.
In his absence, senior Eli Smith stepped up with 27 points, 16 of which came in the second half. Freshman Trevin Salme added 15 on five first-half 3-pointers, and senior Lane Johnson scored 11.
“We’re going to be figuring a lot of things out this season with Braeden out, and it won’t always be pretty, but I love these guys and they played their butts off,” Luke Salme said.
Thanks in large part to Trevin Salme’s red-hot start, the Pirates shot 50 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, and finished 8 for 20 on 3-pointers. Adna led by nine at halftime, and held on the rest of the way to get the win.
The Pirates will face another 1A team Friday when they host King’s Way Christian, back that up with a home game against Ilwaco on Saturday, and then get a few days to rest before C2BL action begins Thursday against Onalaska.
