Ilwaco sophomore center Olivia McKinistry takes foul shots against North Beach.

ILWACO — The Ilwaco Lady Fishermen (9-2) cruised to their fifth straight victory behind a dominant defense by shutting down the North Beach Hyaks 59-32 on Saturday, May 29.

Ilwaco jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening two minutes behind a press defense and two put-backs by sophomore center Olivia McKinistry, a lead they would carry to the final buzzer.

The Lady Fishermen continued to add pressure and trap the Hyak players forcing multiple turnovers that turned into fast-break opportunities, including three straight break-away layups for senior guard Erika Glenn in building an insurmountable 25-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Fishermen continued the heavy defensive pressure while adding to their lead in the second quarter.

An Olina Dalton-Gilbertson layup opened the scoring, followed by a Ione Sheldon runner, boosting the Ilwaco lead to 30-4 at the 5:00 mark. Ilwaco senior guard Erika Glenn scored the final five points of the period, giving the Lady Fishermen a commanding 45-5 lead at the half before cruising to a 59-32 victory.

The Lady Fishermen, currently in second place in the 2B Pacific League standings, have one regular-season game remaining against Chief Leschi before district playoffs begin.