ADNA — It was clear early on that the Pirates were in a groove offensively on Tuesday.
A pair of early threes from Trevin Salme and a pair of layups from Jackson Knittle helped the Pirates build an early lead, forcing a Toutle Lake timeout less than four minutes in.
Salme and Knittle continued to dominate throughout the rest of the game, as the duo combined for 43 points in Adna’s 81-46 win.
In addition to those two, Gavan Muller, Kannen Kephart, and Grayson Humphrey all hit double-figures.
“We have some pieces offensively where I think we will be able to find some ways to score,” Adna coach Luke Salme said. “But I think it started more defensively.”
The Pirates have thrived on putting pressure on opposing defenses for years now, and Tuesday was no different.
They were able to get out in transition early and often, getting several open looks at and around the basket. By the end of the first half, the Pirates had made 12 of their 14 shots from inside the arc and were shooting 70.8 percent from the floor including threes.
Knittle did his work inside, using his size to his advantage underneath the hoop. He scored 17 of his 21 points in the middle two frames, helping the Adna lead jump from 13 to 33.
“He keeps up really well,” Salme said. “That’s a massive body that moves a lot better than a big body like that typically does.”
Salme hit four threes in the first half and added a fifth in the second half, finishing the day five of nine from deep.
The team-wide efficiency from the first half carried through the rest of the game, as the Pirates were 16 for 25 from the floor in the second half. Adna finished the night shooting 67.3 percent from the field.
The win was a welcome sight for Coach Salme, who watched his Pirates fall to King’s Way Christian before hanging on to beat Winlock last week.
“I think we’re trending in the right direction,” Salme said. “We’ve got to figure some things out. But these kids, they’re all in. That’s all you can ask for.”
The process of narrowing in on his players’ specific strengths and weaknesses will continue over the coming weeks, but the Pirates (2-1, 2-0 C2BL) have two big tests later this week.
On Thursday, they’ll head to Toledo, and they’ll return home to face Rainier on Saturday. Those two teams are a combined 5-0, and Salme is looking forward to seeing how his group stacks up.
“It’s kind of a fun experiment for me right now,” Salme said. “Those are teams that have some talent. I’m excited to play those two.”
