<I>DEBBIE HEIMBIGNER photo</I><BR>Shane Padgett passes to Tommy Inserra during the Fishermen's game with White Salmon Saturday.

IHS boys remain tied for Trico lead after 20-point win

ILWACO – Ilwaco walloped White Salmon 69-49 at Aase Gymnasium Saturday on the strength of a 36-8 scoring binge from the waning moments of the second period until five minutes remained in the runaway Trico League victory.

The pesky Bruins fell behind 10-3, but clawed back to 16-14 in the first period. Ilwaco rebuilt a 27-17 margin, only to have White Salmon swim back to 27-22.

That simple adjustment and better team defense set in motion a 40-11 Ilwaco scoring drive to put the contest out of reach at 67-33 with 5:08 left in regulation play. Fishermen reserves then played out the game.

In the second quarter, Tommy Inserra, who joined Gray in a reserve role, had 7 points with a variety of moves in the paint and Tony Crete added 3 baskets from close range while dishing out 2 assists to spur Ilwaco to a 36-25 lead at intermission.

The Fishermen reeled off 14 unanswered points in the third period as Jordan Williams took control of the game at point guard. The sophomore passed to Shane Padgett, who led all scorers with 20 points, for 3 field goals, drove for 2 buckets of his own, and Inserra knocked down two more buckets in route to an insurmountable 54-27 lead.

Trico League StandingsILWACO 8-1

Ridgefield 8-1

Woodland 5-3

LaCenter 4-4

Castle Rock 2-6

Stevenson 2-7

White Salmon 1-8Padgett’s personal high water mark for the season of 20 points came on a mixture of long three-pointers, slashing drives to the basket and short jump shots. Inserra spun his way through Bruin defenders for 15 points and leaped for a dozen rebounds. Ryan Cadwell found the hoop twice for four points, but more importantly garnered 9 rebounds and added 4 assists and 3 steals. Williams dished out 4 assists and had 3 steals as well.

Mirelez and Gray scored 9 points each, with most of their damage coming from beyond the three-point line. Crete secured 7 boards and had 3 assists as the Fishermen continued to play unselfish offensive basketball.

Coach Matt Blair had praise for Williams saying, “Jordan was in control of the basketball tonight and his dribble penetration helped set up many opportunities for our offense.”

The coach went on to explain the resounding win by saying, “We did not push the ball up the floor when we played at White Salmon, but tonight the team rebounded well, hit the outlet pass, and did very well in the open court.”

The Fishermen singed the nets at a 50 percent clip from the field, salting away 24 of 48 attempts while sinking 13 of 21 free throws for 62 percent. The Bruins were 9 of 15 from the foul line (60 percent) and 17 of 44 from the floor for a cool 36 percent. The Fishermen fouled 14 times and White Salmon was whistled for 17 violations.

A key statistic was the 35-19 rebounding edge Ilwaco built throughout the contest. Ilwaco turned the ball over 19 times to the Bruins 10. Visiting guards Hisabet Pulido and Andrew Culp scored 16 and 8 points respectively, as they both took care of the basketball and exhibited an explosive first step to the hoop.

Reserves Jarod Schaak, Dylan Wirkkala, Peter Gaynor, Mooch Smith and Joe Goelz saw plenty of playing time the final period.

The Fishermen are now 13-4 on the season and 8-1 – tied with Ridgefield for the top spot in the Trico. Ilwaco has won 10 of their last 11 games.

Wht. Salmon 14 11 5 19 – 49

Ilwaco 19 17 23 10 – 69

White Salmon-Pulido 16, Culp 8, Patrick 7, Carlock 5, Lovrin 4, Verley 2, Furgeson 2, Hunsaker 5.

Ilwaco-Padgett 20, Inserra 15, Mirelez 9, Gray 9, Crete 6, Williams 6, Cadwell 4.

IHS girls win big, maul Lady Bruins, 77-37

ILWACO – After one period the score read Anna Kitzman eight, Ashley Kitzman six, and White Salmon four as the sisters helped the Lady Fishermen bolt to a commanding 21-4 lead on their way to a 77-37 Trico League mauling of the Lady Bruins Saturday at home.

During the first-quarter blasting of the Bruins, Ilwaco ripped for 18 unanswered points and never looked back in waltzing to win number 12 in 17 tries. The Lady Fishermen remain a game ahead of Castle Rock and in fourth place in the Trico with a 5-4 mark.

“This was a good game for us to play everyone and to keep our confidence high,” Coach Glenn Padgett said of the easy triumph. “We’re playing well right now,” he summed up.

After the mammoth first period, the Lady Fishermen outscored White Salmon 29-24 the middle two quarters. In the final stanza Ilwaco went on a 9-0 blitz and bombed the Bruins 27-9 using a stifling press and hitting on 69 percent of their shots in the period.

Trico League StandingsRidgefield 8-1

LaCenter 7-1

Woodland 6-2

ILWACO 5-4

Castle Rock 3-5

White Salmon 1-8

Stevenson 0-9One of the most amazing statistical anomalies one will ever encounter in a basketball game at any level occurred in the contest: Ilwaco shot 34 free throws, dropping in 25 for a 74 percent success rate, while White Salmon did not take one free toss! The Lady Bruins were 0-0 from the line as they hibernated on the offensive end all afternoon and did not draw one shooting foul the entire fray. Ilwaco was zinged for 10 fouls and White Salmon called for 22.

Ashley Kitzman poured in 28 points, reeled in 10 rebounds, deftly passed for five assists, and stole the basketball four times for good measure. Katie Holmes chipped in 14 points, nabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists and Ashley Fauver and Anna Kitzman also hit double-digits in the scoring column with 10 points apiece. Notably, the Kitzman sisters out-scored White Salmon 38-37 all by themselves.

Fauver stole the ball from the slumbering Lady Bruins five times and Anna Kitzman swiped the orb three times. Nicole Davis continued to contribute mightily from the Lady Fishermen bench as she scored 7 points and snared a like number of rebounds.

Robyn Unruh sank three field goals, had three assists, and had three steals and Ariel Barker elevated for five rebounds and two points in the Ilwaco landslide win. Heather Bartlett and Alli Brooks each added two boards to the Lady Fishermen’s 31-20 edge on the glass.

Ilwaco took the ball away from White Salmon 27 times, but turned it over on 19 occasions. The Lady Fishermen shot a hot 48 percent from the field, making 24-50 tries and White Salmon popped in 18 shots in 45 attempts for an even 40 percent.

Following the girls’ victory, the Ilwaco cheerleaders shared the Aase Gymnasium floor with about 40 young ladies who had attended their cheer camp earlier in the day. The girls performed several maneuvers they had learned in a special dance routine, much to the delight of all in attendance.

Wht. Salmon 4 12 12 9 – 37

Ilwaco 21 14 15 27 – 77

White Salmon – Williams 12, Bakke 8, Mansfield 6, Henderson 4, Blankenship 4, Courtney 3.

Ilwaco – Ashley Kitzman 28, Holmes 14, Anna Kitzman 10, Fauver 10, Davis 7, Unruh 6, Barker 2, Bartlett, Brooks.