The W.F. West girls basketball team didn’t come out of the gate firing on Friday night in Shelton, but the Bearcats did more than enough to come away with a 64-25 win to stay unbeaten.
It was a sluggish start for the Bearcats (5-0, 2-0 2A EvCo), as the Highclimbers came out fast and the score was tied at six after one quarter of play.
“They came out with all the energy,” W.F. West coach Kyle Karnofski said. “We got kind of rattled.”
W.F. West found a bit of a groove in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead into the break, but it was the second half where they pulled away for good.
In the final 16 minutes, the Bearcats outscored the Highclimbers 40-11. Karnofski said the halftime period was key, as they made some adjustments that got them back to playing their style of basketball.
Julia Dalan scored a game-high 26 points, while Lena Fragner added 14.
Senior Carlie Deskins returned to the floor for the first time since a knee injury last season. She only scored two points, but Karnofski said that her impact went beyond the box score, as her defensive effort and leadership on the court went a long way towards the victory.
“Without her, that’s a completely different ball game,” Karnofski said. “She saved our butts. She was lights out for us.”
The Bearcats are back in Chehalis on Tuesday, when they’ll host Montesano.
