One of the primary goals for the Rainier High School boys basketball team this offseason was to add some juice to the offense. The Mountaineers hoped that zipping the basketball around would open up better shot opportunities.
So far, so good.
The Mountaineers opened their 2024-25 season with a statement non-league win over Tenino, 54-36, at home Friday, Nov. 29. Rainier nearly led the Beavers wire to wire thanks to an impressive offensive flow and a sound defensive effort.
Jake Meldrum led the Mountaineers with 18 points, 16 of which were scored in the first three quarters. Rainier’s balanced offensive attack was highlighted by seven three-pointers, while Austin Gonia’s 18 points and 19 rebounds were not enough for the Beavers.
“I thought we moved the ball well, especially against the man-to-man defense. I think we have some opportunities to grow against the zone,” Rainier head coach Ben Sheaffer said. “We want to make the extra pass and trust one another and share the ball. There were definitely some good things there in terms of the way that we moved it tonight.”
The Route 507 neighbors appeared primed for a gritty back-and-forth contest early with both squads playing a physical brand of basketball. Rainier jumped in front 8-2 in the first quarter as Tenino struggled with turnovers and missed open looks. Leading 13-9 through one quarter, the Mountaineers surrendered the lead for the first time 80 seconds into the second quarter thanks to a go-ahead Gonia triple to make it 15-14.
The Beavers’ lead only lasted over a minute, and they would not lead again. Creating open looks was not an issue for Tenino, but knocking them down proved to be tougher than usual. Tenino scored just two points over the final five minutes of the first half and was held scoreless in the final three and a half minutes as Rainier took a 27-17 halftime lead.
“We actually executed a lot of good things. We were really stressing paint touches, and we did a nice job on paint touches. But then we kicked it out and couldn’t hit anything,” Beavers head coach Ryan Robertson said.
The Meldrum triplets — Jake, Josh and James — took over in the third quarter. Josh opened the second half with his second trifecta of the night before James knocked in another from deep. Jake closed out the frame with an exhilarating and-one layup through traffic that thrilled the home crowd. The Meldrums scored all 13 of Rainier’s points in the third quarter, and Jake led all scorers with 16 points going into the fourth up 40-28.
“He’s really a good penetrator. He’s able to get in that gap and play off two feet. He had a couple really tough finishes tonight, just being strong and absorbing the contact against a really physical Tenino team,” Sheaffer said of Jake.
Jake and Josh Meldrum played with fire especially in the second half, letting out yells after key baskets and chirping at the Beavers. Although he appreciates the energy through their play, Sheaffer is not a fan of the talking in between.
“I don’t encourage it whatsoever. The total opposite is true,” he said. “We’ve worked really hard to focus on playing the game and let your game speak for itself. I don’t see the value in that. I know I’m a little old-fashioned. I need to allow some of it, but I believe that you need to win with class and respect your opponent.”
At one point, the Meldrums were responsible for 21 straight points in the second half. By the time their scoring barrage was snapped, Rainier led by 21 points with five minutes left in the game. The Mountaineers cruised to the finish line, earning a 54-36 win over the reigning Evergreen League champions. Friday’s victory marked the third straight year in which Rainier topped Tenino on the hardwood.
“We’re happy with the way we competed. I thought that we bounced back a couple times. They went on a few mini runs and we faced some adversity. I like the way that we responded,” Sheaffer said.
Robertson is satisfied with his team’s effort despite the poor shooting. He expects the Beavers, down a couple of key players entering the season, to find their touch soon.
“Good first game. I was really proud of our kids for the effort. We did a lot of nice things defensively. We’re changing up our defense a little bit more,” Robertson said. “We will get better. [Rainier] is a good offensive team. That’s a good team that really has a great chance of making the state tournament and making some noise over there.”
Rainier (1-0) will look to start league play 1-0 as Central 2B League newcomer and 2024 1B state runner-up Mossyrock comes to town on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Tenino (0-1) has a much quicker turnaround as it heads to Fort Vancouver Saturday at 4 p.m.
