Grose Scores 28, Tigers Hold Off Riverhawks

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TOLEDO — Not that anybody is preaching moral victories or anything like that. But Thursday night’s matchup between the Napavine and Toledo boys basketball teams — which the Tigers won 59-47 — left both sides with a few good things to chew on.

For Napavine, which won its first two games since starting late by a combined 75 points, it was a chance to play an end-to-end game with meaningful reps in the fourth quarter.

“This is all just learning in new situations,” Napavine coach Rex Stanley said. “It was our first close game; there’s definitely a lot to learn from this.”

And for Toledo, which saw multiple close games turn into routs last season and is starting a whole lot of inexperience, it was proof that the Riverhawks can hang with most anybody in the Central 2B League.

“We walked out of here, heads held high,” Toledo coach Grady Fallon said. “Our goal beforehand was to give ourselves a shot to win; you don’t have to play great, you just have to be in it with one, two minutes left. And we were.”

Napavine led by six after a quarter of play, and turned on the offense in the second, led by 13 points from James Grose. But Toledo hung around, never letting the deficit grow beyond 12 points in the second half.

Grose led the Tigers with 28 points, quieting down a bit in the second half but still finishing 11 for 24 from the field. He also logged three assists and five rebounds.

“He’s just played well all year,” Stanley said. “Really everybody, we’re a pretty consistent group. Tonight we just couldn’t finish possessions.”

The Tigers gave themselves plenty of extra possessions, racking up 21 offensive rebounds. But Toledo had 12 of its own, and Napavine only won the battle of second-chance points 13-12.

Cayle Kelly added 10 points for the Tigers, as their only other player in double figures. Jack Nelson racked up nine rebounds.

Napavine set the tone all night with its defense, forcing 22 turnovers, many of which came either in the backcourt or before the Riverhawks were able to get into their offensive sets.

“I thought the defense was fine,” Stanley said. “You just can’t give up three or four shots a possession and think it’s going to be okay.”

Toledo had three players in double digits, with Rogan Stanley scoring 13 points, Kaven Winters adding 12, and Cooper Fallon pitching in 10. 

Stanley also led the Riverhawks with seven rebounds; Fallon and Conner Olmstead both had six.

Napavine (3-0, 3-0 C2BL) will take on La Center on Saturday, while Toledo (4-5, 1-3) will head to Naselle for a non-league matchup as well.