Basin roundup: Big Bend women rout EWU Club in season opener
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Big Bend forward Haily Garrity puts up an outside shot against EWU Club.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Big Bend guard Miranda Johnson pulls up for a shot against EWU Club.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Big Bend forward Kelsey Foster tries to put up a shot between two EWU Club defenders.
MOSES LAKE — Callie Gronning gathered the opening tip and fired a bounce pass to a streaking Kelsey Foster for a layup.
Big Bend scored early and often in its rout of Eastern Washington University Club 72-36.
The Vikings opened the game on an 8-0 run and led by 11 points at the end of the first quarter. Foster shored up the interior defense by jumping entry passes for steals that began countless transition opportunities.
Haily Garrity, Big Bend’s leading scorer from last season, picked up where she left off with 11 first-quarter points.
“It’s always fun to have someone that’s able to catch the ball and you kind of reach off each other,” point guard Sunnie Martinez said. “I think it just makes the game a lot easier for me when I have someone that can catch the ball and finish so well like Haily.”
Garrity followed the shot of reserve Leah Dougherty for a put-back and her final basket of the first quarter.
The all-sophomore starting five built the lead and the reserves extended it.
Led by Dougherty and Miranda Johnson, Big Bend’s lead continued to grow in the second quarter.
“Those two are going to really contribute this year,” head coach Preston Wilks said.
Moses Lake High School graduate Maggie Strom came off the bench to score three points in the first half as Big Bend led by as much as 24 points.
“We wanted to make sure that we came out after halftime and just really picked up the intensity and really made the most out of what this opportunity was given to us,” Martinez said.
The Vikings’ goal defensive was to hold EWU to less than 40 total points. A strong defensive third quarter helped that cause. Big Bend allowed just five points in the third as its lead ballooned to 33 points.
A welcomed sight on what was otherwise an inconsistent evening offensively.
“I felt like our defense was sold tonight,” Wilks said. “There’s going to be nights where the ball just doesn’t go in and that kind of was us tonight... We just struggled a little tonight finishing, but the aggressiveness was there.”
Big Bend 95, Edmonds 44
MOSES LAKE — Big Bend led 50-18 at halftime and routed Edmonds 95-44.
Gronning and Johnson scored a team-high 17 points each. Garrity added a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Tiana Tapua scored 19 of the Tritons’ 44 points.
Men’s basketball
Big Bend 100, Alumni 78
MOSES LAKE — Koby Huerta scored a team-high 21 points and Big Bend beat its Alumni 100-78.
Big Bend outscored the Alumni by 13 points in the second half to pull away.
Mauricio Smith posted a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Prep boys soccer
1B/2B state championship
Crosspoint 2, St. George’s 0
Girls prep soccer
1B/2B state championship
Life Christian Academy 1, St. George’s 0
1A state championship
King’s 2, Cascade 1 (SO)
2A state championship
Liberty 3, Columbia River 0
3A state championship
Mercer Island 4, Stadium 1
4A state championship
Issaquah 2, Central Valley 1