NAPAVINE — Last Friday against Onalaska, the Napavine offense exploded for more than 30 points in the third quarter, a brief but exciting sign of the potential of this squad’s offense.
The Tigers showcased more of that potent offense in their second game of the season on Tuesday, nearing hitting 100 in a dominant 97-44 victory over Mossyrock.
Six different Tigers hit double-figures, but none scored more than 19, and a seventh just missed double-digits with nine points.
“Everybody on the court can score the ball,” Napavine coach Kayden Kelly said. “Whoever is open is gonna get the ball. That’s how we’d like to play, and they’re starting to understand it.”
It was clear from the first few possessions that it was the Tigers’ night. They opened the game with two straight three-pointers and eventually built a 16-0 lead before Mossyrock got on the board.
By the end of the first quarter, they had already built a 23-point lead, they extended it to 36 at the break, and they made it a running clock just minutes into the second half.
As a team, Napavine finished the night with a 66.1 percent mark from the field, including a 47.8 percent clip from three, and 28 assists.
“I’ve been preaching to be unselfish, play unselfish basketball since we started,” Kelly said. “It’s an unreal amount of assists. That’s exactly what we wanted to see.”
Cal Bullock led the way with 19 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and five steals, and Tyce Vigre added 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Hudson Chambers and Eric Bullock also scored 15 points apiece, and Eric Bullock added eight assists and seven boards of his own. Beckett Landram and Tyler Watson both finished with 12 points, and Layton Griffith logged nine.
They had just as much success on the other side of the ball, limiting Mossyrock to just 14 of 67 (20.9 percent) from the floor, including a bleak 5 for 38 (13.2 percent) in the first half.
Kelly said it was a welcome sign for a team that has made its intention to become a defense-minded squad a goal.
“They’re really starting to embrace that and find our identity in that,” Kelly said. “When you all buy in, and everybody’s working hard and hustling, good things start to happen.”
On the other bench, Mossyrock coach Kelly Ross looked on wondering what he needed to change.
Among his frustrations, Ross noted a lack of effort getting back on defense, saying that all five guys need to be sprinting back every play, and a struggle to bring the offense they’ve executed in practice into games.
“We’ve seen flashes,” Ross said. “But tonight, there wasn’t much. We’ve seen flashes of what we can be as a team, we just need to put it together. And it starts tomorrow at practice.”
Colby Cournyer, Ethan Johnson, and Mason Atter finished with nine points each, while Aylan Bigbee and Shaun Fry scored eight apiece.
Bignee added seven rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, and Cournyer and Johnson both came down with six boards.
Mossyrock (1-3) will look to get back on track on Thursday in Morton against Morton-White Pass.
“We need to get back and really have a heart to heart about who we want to be, because that’s not who we want to be,” Ross said. “And then we’re gonna definitely right the ship on Thursday. It starts tomorrow.”
Napavine (2-0) will look to continue its hot start at Klahowya on Thursday.
“I would like to build off this one and keep it going,” Kelly said. “It should have some people really excited about what this team could do. Just gotta stick with that, keep riding that, and keep working our tails off.”
