PORTLAND — The bright lights of the Moda Center did little to phase Napavine on Friday, as the Tigers’ offense led the way in a 76-53 win over Tenino in Portland.
The Tigers (9-0, 4-0 C2BL) knew going into the game that, playing on a bigger court, they would be able to push the pace and take advantage of the extra space.
They did just that early on, taking advantage of a flurry of early Tenino (7-4) turnovers to open up a 23-10 lead after one.
“They just kill you in transition,” Robertson said. “We didn’t get back and make them face a set defense very often.”
That trend continued in the second quarter, where Napavine continued to drain shot after shot to open up a 19-point halftime lead. James Grose scored 20 points in the first half alone, and as a team, the Tigers shot 59.4 percent from the floor.
They didn’t shoot as well in the second half, shooting just 37.5 percent from the floor, but they did enough to keep the Beavers at arm’s length.
“We like to play fast,” Stanley said. “We’re looking to push on makes and misses. To put up 76 points with an NBA three-point line, I’m happy with that.”
Grose finished with a game-high 29 points, hauled in six rebounds and tallied three steals. Karsen Denault added 16 points and led the team with eight rebounds, while Cayle Kelly and Jarin Prather added nine points each. Prather also led the team with four assists.
Defensively, the Tigers did more than enough on the defensive end to sustain the lead, as the Beavers struggled against Napavine’s zone. The Beavers turned the ball over 11 times, shot just 10 for 28 in the first half, and didn’t hit a single 3-pointer on the day.
“We haven’t seen much zone,” Robertson said. “So we were just out of sorts a little bit.”
The Beavers offense was more efficient in the second half, as they were 14 of 27 from the floor, but the hole had already been dug and was too big to climb out of.
“We just needed to get off to a better start,” Robertson said. “We kind of came with big eyes in this place, and they played really good basketball to start.”
Burkhardt finished with 15 points, just one behind Noah Schow, who led the team with 16. Burkhardt also hauled in eight rebounds. Austin Gonia added 14 points and hauled in six rebounds.
In the moments following the game, family and friends from Napavine and Tenino flooded the court for photos. After a quick chat near the scorer’s table, both Stanley and Robertson were all smiles watching.
“They’ll talk about this their whole life,” Robertson said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
The Tigers will take their unbeaten record into the New Year, and they’ll return to the court on Thursday at home against Onalaska. The Beavers will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday when they host Montesano.
