Brianna Asay led the Tenino girls basketball team in scoring again on Wednesday, but it was the combined 22 points from Kiyah Goodwin and Holly Thoren that helped the Beavers snap a two-game losing streak with a 42-36 win over Naselle.
Tenino coach Scott Ashmore said that the team has been looking for other scorers to step up, and the balance he saw tonight was a major step in the right direction.
“We had almost three scorers in double figures,” Ashmore said. “It’s been a while since we had that happen.”
The three helped the Beavers take a 25-14 lead into the break, an advantage that held even when they went cold from the field in the third.
Tenino was able to handle Naselle’s press well in the first quarter, but when the Comets went back to it after halftime, the Beavers struggled and scored just five points.
“We seem to lately have a quarter out of the fourth where we don’t put the ball in the basket,” Ashmore said. “The girls know what to do, it’s just a matter of making the right pass at the right time … We’re getting better as we go, and that’s the whole goal right now.”
Brynn Williams finished with just three points, but her ability to navigate the Naselle defense helped the Beavers get back on track in the fourth quarter.
“She led with a voice, which is something we’ve been looking for for a while,” Ashmore said. “She just does all the little things … you need someone to have a calming influence when they handle the ball.”
The Comets got within three in the fourth, but Tenino (2-7) was able to hold on for the win.
“We figured out how to finish,” Ashmore said. “It was good to get another victory.”
The Beavers will have the chance to win two in a row on Thursday, when they’ll head to La Center to take on the Wildcats.
