NAPAVINE — The Napavine girls basketball team didn’t earn many style points on Friday night, but the Tigers did more than enough to earn a scrappy 58-48 win over Brewster.
“It was ugly at times,” Napavine coach Shane Schutz said. “But when two teams are going as hard as they are, that’s what’s going to happen.”
After going back-and-forth in the first half, it was the Tigers (8-1, 4-0 C2BL) who seized control early in the third quarter with a 9-2 run to open up a 10-point lead.
Napavine continued to build on its lead throughout the third quarter, making sure to push the pace while simultaneously not rushing. Seven different Tigers scored in the third, and they finished the quarter with 21 points.
“We did more than one pass and shoot,” Schutz said. “When you try to score too fast, too hard, it doesn’t always equate to points.”
On the other end, the Tigers defense played well. They held the Bears, who entered the game averaging more than 71 points per game, to their lowest scoring output of the season. Additionally, they forced turnovers that turned into quick and easy buckets on the offensive end.
“We had a little stretch there where our defense created our offense,” Schutz said. “And that was big.”
Late in the third, the Brewster bench got a jolt of momentum. Shortly after Kara Schertenleib hit a 3-pointer late in the third, Pepper Boesel drilled a half-court buzzer-beater, one that cut the deficit to 11.
The Tigers defense held firm in the fourth, however, as the Bears scored just 10 points in the final frame and never got closer than seven.
“That was a hard game,” Schutz said. “We needed that, and I think both teams benefitted from a game like this. For us, it was a great game and a hard-fought win.”
Hayden Kaut finished with a game-high 17 points, while Keira O’Neill added 13, mostly in the paint. Avery Schutz tallied eight and Dakota Hamilton scored seven.
Friday’s match was the first of two straight against east-side teams for the Tigers, as they’ll host Mabton on Saturday.
For Schutz, the early season matchups are a good test, and they are something that they can build on moving forward.
“It’s a barometer to see how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go,” Schutz said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but it’s still early in the season.”
