Seniors lift Mountaineers to 60-39 rout of Mount Vernon Christian

Four players score in double figures

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The Rainier High School girls basketball team's offense is finding its groove nearly halfway through its non-league state as the Mountaineers routed 2B Mount Vernon Christian, 60-39, Friday, Dec. 13.

Rainier’s three healthy seniors — Angelica Askey, Brooklynn Swenson and Janess Blackburn — combined to score 41 of the team’s 60 points and helped the Mountaineers stave off a feisty Hurricanes team in the second half. 

After Rainier took a 33-12 halftime lead, each team scored 27 in the second half. Mount Vernon Christian senior Ruthie Rozema dropped a game-high 21 points, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.

“I thought we just lost a little focus and a little edge intensity-wise. We got comfortable with our lead, and we took our foot off the gas a little bit,” Rainier head coach Brandon Eygabroad said of the second half.

It was all Askey in the first quarter as she knocked down a triple off of a missed free throw and she quickly cashed in a layup off a steal. Every paint touch seemed to result in points for the Mountaineers, either on a layup or at the free throw line. Askey and Swenson had their heads on a swivel, constantly finding the open rim runner for an easy shot.

Leading 18-7 heading into the second quarter, Rainier continued its efficient offensive flow, mixing in a couple of triples by Kaysen Bravo and Swenson amid its aggressive drives to the hoop. Bravo nailed a jumper at the buzzer to give Rainier a 33-12 lead going into the locker room.

“We shared the ball, we found the open girl, and we made the right play. It was good to see us play together and really start clicking,” Eygabroad said.

Shots started to fall for Rozema and Mount Vernon Christian in the second half, and the Hurricanes defense clenched up tighter. Rainier’s playmakers were forced to fit passes into narrow windows, many of which were to Blackburn and Lexi Beckman who each made tough shots down low. Blackburn scored six points in the third after putting up just two in the first half.

“We believe in her. Her teammates believe in her, and it’s just her putting it all together,” Eygabroad said of Blackburn. “It’s coming together nicely early this season.”

Mount Vernon Christian and Rainier traded three baskets in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter, with Rozema drilling a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the Mountaineers still led 47-26.

Eygabroad let the majority of his starters finish the job in the fourth quarter. Rainier led by as many as 28 points, but Rozema’s eight fourth-quarter points made the final margin a little slimmer.

Askey and Swenson paced the Mountaineers with 15 and 14 points, respectively. To go along with her 14 points, Swenson tacked on nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Blackburn, 12, and Bravo, 10, scored in double figures while Beckman added seven points. As a team, Rainier dished out 21 assists on 25 made field goals and shot 48.1% from the field.

If there was a statistic for defensive effort and hustle, junior Jazzlyn Shumate would’ve once again led in that category.

“She played some lockdown defense and got some big rebounds today. She really set the tone defensively,” Eygabroad said of Shumate.

Rainier (4-1), which also defeated Rochester, 61-22, on the road on Wednesday, Dec. 11, will welcome 2A Tumwater (2-3) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Mountaineers will follow it up with back-to-back road games at Brewster High School to close out the 2024 calendar year against Brewster and Okanogan on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21.