Royal starts basketball boys hoops with 74-59 win
Pete Christensen Photo Gage Christensen beats a Goldendale defender to the basket for two points.
ROYAL CITY — Royal broke away with a 24-14 fourth period to start the prep basketball season Saturday night with a home court non-league victory over Goldendale, 74-59.
The Knights were led by a trio of players with double-figure scoring. Owen Ellis led the way with 24 points. Corbin Christensen added 19 and Gage Christensen scored 10.
Good news for the Knights in their first outing was their shooting. They hit 44 percent of their field goals overall and 50 percent of their two-point shots. Owen Ellis made six of 12 three-point shots. Corbin Christensen made three of nine.
“We shot very well the second half, but the first half was not so good,” Royal coach Pete Christensen said. “Corbin was cold in the first half, and things started falling for him in the second half. He put up a lot of shots in both halves. He shot around 20 percent the first half and 50 percent in the second.”
Others to score for Royal were Isaac Ellis with seven points, Caden Jenks with five, Juan Ojeda with four, Osiel Ramirez with three and Jaimen Smith with one.
Corbin Christensen led in rebounds with 13. Owen Ellis had nine, Isaac Ellis four, Ojeda, Jenks and Ramirez had two each and Raynor Beierle had one.
Logan Gilbert, the Christensens, the Ellises and Smith and Beierle made one steal each. The team gave up 15 turnovers but committed only three fouls.
“We definitely have things to focus on this week,” coach Christensen said. “The main concern is defensive help. We can’t afford to let teams score that many points on us. We ran the floor okay but that, too, is a work in progress. A lot of it is a change in mind set. For the coach and the players.”
The fast start was encouraging for a team that expects to compete for league and district honors. The Knights lost only a few players from last year and had to replace only one starter.
“We have a great group of players returning,” coach Christensen said. “They are a bit beat up from the extended football season, but we are moving in a good direction.”
Because of football, the team had a grand total of five practices before the boys took the floor against Goldendale. They will have another four practices to prepare for their first league games at Warden on Friday and home with River View on Saturday.
Warden will be especially tough. The Cougars have lost only to a great Kittitas team, 70-64. They have pummeled Highland, 76-25, Mabton 85-57 and Cle Elum, 76-58.
Connell started its season today.
This really could be the year Royal jumps to the top, or toward the top of the SCAC East. The returning four starers, Corbin Christensen, Isaac Ellis, Owen Ellis and Jenks all stand 6-1 or taller, and all have good speed.
“We have a heated battle going for the final starting position, and that will be ironed out by the players over the next couple of weeks,” coach Christensen said.
The reason Royal didn’t do better last year might have been the absence of Isaac Ellis. He suffered an injury in an early game and missed more than half of the season.
“He is a force defensively,” coach Christensen said. “He always seems to get the big boys to defend.”
“We are excited about the potential these kids have to push deep into the tournament season this year and for several years to come,” coach Christensen added. “They are working long and hard to get into basketball shape.”