Centralia’s nonleague game against its guests from Australia started with a bang.
The Modbury team, visiting on a three-week tour of the United States, hit its first five 3-pointers and connected on 20 of 40 from long range over the course of Wednesday night’s game en route to an 85-75 win.
“It was something to watch,” Centralia coach Ron Brown said. “I’d go see them against Adna tomorrow night just to see if it were real.”
The Australians led 18-0 in the first quarter and scored 50 points in the first half — 45 of which came from behind the 3-point arc, and which, by itself, would have set the Tigers’ single-game 3-point shooting record.
Riley Harrap scored 39 for Modbury, going 11 of 16 from long range.
Hodges Bailey led Centralia with 26 points, and Jordan Thomas added 16 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Tyler Ashmore chipped in with 14 points, and the Tigers went 26 of 60 from the field.
“We didn’t lose to a bad team at all. We got beat by a team that was red-hot,” Brown said. “The turnovers we’d like to get better, and our passing has not been what I’d call spectacular, but overall, I’d say I think these last two games (against Modbury and Capital) were two good tests for us.”
Centralia (2-2) hosts White River on Wednesday.
