PE ELL — The Pe El girls basketball team has had its fair share of brilliant defensive performances during its undefeated start. The Trojans allowed just 22.7 points per game in their first 12 games, and they had allowed fewer than 20 points five times.

They may have had their best performance of the season on Thursday, when they shut down Three Rivers Christian in a 54-6 win.

The Trojans didn’t allow a single point in the first quarter, building a 16-0 lead. TRC got on the board early in the second thanks to two quick buckets from Keira McGinley, but the Eagles didn’t score again until McGinley added another two midway through the fourth.

On the night, the Eagles shot just 4 for 33, including an 0 for 14 mark from three.

“We tried some different things,” Pe Ell coach Kelsey Lennox said. “We had a lot of different mixes of girls in there that aren’t normally in there together. I thought they did a good job of keeping the intensity and energy up no matter who was in the game.”

In between the Eagles’ baskets, the Trojans did more than enough to build a comfortable lead.

Eighth-grader Maisy King led the way early, scoring 11 points in the first half. She went on to finish with a team-high 13. She also added six rebounds and three steals.

King has stepped in to help fill the role of her sister Brooklelynn King, who has missed the last eight games while dealing with a lower-body injury.

“Brookelynn really was that spark for us,” Lennox said. “She’s the heart of the team. To not have her on the court, it’s been huge to have Maisy come in and kind of be that same spark. She plays with no fear, and I love that about her.”

Eight other Trojans got on the scoresheet, including Peyton Zock — who scored nine points, pulled down five rebounds, and grabbed five steals — and Devyn Shannon, who scored eight points.

Karli Phelps was all over the floor on both sides of the ball, scoring six points while also tallying 10 steals, seven assists, and six rebounds.

The Trojans now sit at 13-0 overall and sit atop the Columbia Valley League with a 6-0 record in league play.

“I’m super, super proud of them,” Lennox said. “It’s such a good group of girls. Every single day they come in and they work their butts off … To see the improvement in some of the players from last year to this year has been huge.”

The Trojans will now have a full week before their next game, as they’ll host the Washington School for the Deaf next Thursday, Jan. 23, before heading to Willapa Valley to face the Vikings in a non-league game next Saturday, Jan. 25.