ROCHESTER — Adna coach Luke Salme knew that the Pirates’ performance against Ocosta on Saturday was “lethargic.”
Now that the postseason has begun, however, style points mean nothing, and Salme was proud of the Pirates for coming away with a 64-41 win in the first round of the district tournament.
“It was never pretty,” Salme said. “But what’s important is that we move to the right in the bracket.”
Outside of the first few minutes, the scoreboard reflected that the Pirates (16-6, 9-4 C2BL) were in control, as they quickly bounced back from a 7-2 Ocosta run to begin the game with back-to-back-to-back threes that helped build a seven-point lead. At halftime, the lead was up to 13.
Salme took the blame for the slow start, particularly on defense, and credited his team with taking the momentum after he switched out of a 1-3-1 zone.
“We weren’t very assertive in it … Once we mixed up defenses I thought our energy was better and that’s when momentum kind of turned.”
The only thing keeping the Wildcats in striking distance were a few long 3-pointers, as they connected on more shots from deep (4) than inside the arc (3) in the first half.
The second quarter was no different, but as Adna continued to build on its lead, it was clear that it wasn’t consistent enough to close the gap.
On the night, the Wildcats shot just 15 for 56 from the floor, including a 9 for 35 mark from deep.
Braeden Salme was the main catalyst for the Pirates, especially in the second half. After scoring nine points in the first half, Salme scored 10 points in the third quarter alone, often driving inside with ease to get easy looks near the basket.
Salme noted that it’s the best Braeden has looked in some time, as he has continued to work back from a foot injury that sidelined him for a big chunk of the season.
“There was some promising stuff out of Braeden,” Salme said. “He looked a little more confident and a little more sure of that foot. There were glimpses of the old him today, and that was nice.”
Salme finished with a game-high 23, while Trevin Salme hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11. Gavan Muller scored 10 while also grabbing six rebounds and blocking four shots, while Jens Neilson tallied nine points, seven rebounds and three assists.
With the win, Adna advances to play Ilwaco in the district quarterfinal Wednesday at Rochester. The winner of that will advance to the district semifinals, and will have up to three chances to win and claim a state tournament bid.
