HOQUIAM — Five wins might not be cheerful for the typical team, but when a team like Centralia matches its win total — with a 52-42 win over Hoquiam here Friday night — for the past two seasons, it’s a visible step in the right direction.
The Tigers rode a 22-13 fourth quarter — including a 17-4 run to close the game — over the Grizzlies to achieve that victory, and coach Mark Westley was enthused.
“Five wins is not huge for any team,” he said. “But it matches the total we have in the first two years combined.
“When you set some realistic goals and get there, it’s a nice feeling,” he added. “The girls came out with a passion and fire tonight and played exceptionally well.”
All six Tigers that scored had 6 or more points in the game, led by Annnie Voetberg and Erika Brower with 12 and 11, respectively. Voetberg also had eight rebounds, along with Molly King, who chipped in 8 points and had six steals.
Hoquiam took a 2-point lead with 5:07 remaining in the final stanza on a trio of 3-point buckets, before Centralia went on a 13-2 run to re-establish the lead.
“It was not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination,” Westley said. “We just did what we needed to do. The execution was there.
“The composure was awesome,” the coach added. “We ran the shot clock, and ran our plays over and over again until we finally got our open look.”
The Tigers took a 25-17 lead into halftime, and held Hoquiam to 0 of 3 shooting in the second quarter. The Grizzlies did, however, hit eight free throws in that frame.
Centralia (5-13, 3-9 league) will look to build on their success on Tuesday, where they host Elma on senior night.
“We’re turning things around,” Westley said. “And the girls are excited about achieving some goals.”
