Knights defeat Wahluke, extend win streak to four
MATTAWA — The Royal Knights (14-2) defeated the Wahluke Warriors (8-9) 76-43 on Tuesday as they took another step toward top seeding in the South Central Athletic Conference. Head coach Tim Ravet was happy with how his team passed the ball.
“That was kind of our identity, was moving the ball and getting the right people the right shots, and obviously they were making shots,” Ravet said.
The Warriors were competitive in the first minutes of the game, trading shots with the Knights. However, Royal gradually built a commanding 41-18 lead by halftime. Grant Wardenaar, Graham Palmer and Manny Ruvalcaba formed a formidable trio to dominate on both ends of the court in the second half and cruise to a 33-point win.
“I thought it was pretty good. We really shared the ball well in the first half. We did some lunging and got out of position some, and Grant got a couple fouls early and where he usually is pretty sound, so we’ve got to still work on keeping people in front and contesting,” Ravet said.
The Warriors came out fast in the first quarter, drilling a three-pointer to get on the scoreboard first. Palmer responded with a shot from the perimeter to tie it as the Knights began to find their rhythm. A second three by Palmer and another by Fischer Livingston helped them build an 18-9 lead heading into the second quarter.
“Mike Tyson said everybody has a plan until they're punched in the mouth,” Ravet said. “(Rafael Rodriguez) hit a couple shots early, and you just kind of got to get a feel for the game too. I think as it went on, we kind of got a good feel of what they were trying to do.”
By the second quarter, Wardenaar and the Knights were rolling on offense. Major Andra contributed to the offense alongside Wardenaar and Palmer. An additional bucket by Anderson Brown helped Royal take a 23-point lead at halftime.
At the break, Ravet emphasized a tighter defense for the Knights to try and make the Warriors uncomfortable on offense.
“Defensively, we should be pretty sound. We're going to give up shots, but they need to be contested, and they need to be mid-range twos, not layups or open threes,” he said.
He also imparted the importance of finding the best shots possible and not taking their foot off the gas in the second half.
“We try to have the mentality that we play to a standard, not a scoreboard, and we don't always hold ourselves to that all the time, but I felt like tonight we shared the ball through at least three quarters pretty well,” he said. “Sometimes the defense gets to decide who gets the most open looks and makes sure that we're not settling for good shots. We're trying to get great shots with the right guy at the right time, at the right spot.”
In the third quarter, Wardenaar and the Knights continued to push the pace while widening the gap on the scoreboard. While Keaton Zirker and Kobe Corrales put gave it their best effort, two more three-pointers by Palmer helped the Knights outscore the Warriors 23-11 heading into the fourth.
In the final quarter, Ravet subbed in younger players for Royal on their way to another league win.
Wahluke hits the road Jan. 30 to play Wapato at 7:30 p.m. A strong finish could still position them well in the SCAC district tournament.
The Knights travel to play Cashmere on Jan. 29 at 7:15 p.m. Ravet and the Knights are focused on finishing strong as they continue to sharpen their skills.
“We have four games left and five practices left before the postseason starts,” he said. “You’ve got to be lucky and get things right and stay healthy, and so many things going into the playoffs, that you’ve got to do your homework right now and try to get as good as you can.”
BOX SCORE:
ROYL: 18-23-23-12: 76
WHLK: 9-9-11-14: 43
Franco Perez (32) awaits the ball to be inbounded with Manny Ruvalcaba (0) playing close defense.