Naselle senior Jacob Lindstrom (5) shoot a three pointer against Pe Ell.

ILWACO — The Naselle and Ilwaco boys basketball teams each built big early leads before winning their first games convincingly in the 2024 Holiday Classic, setting up the championship game between the Fishermen and Comets Dec. 28 at Carl Aase Gymnasium in Ilwaco.

Strange, Lindstrom power Comets over Trojans 67-39

Naselle seniors Jack Strange (4) and Jacob Lindstrom (5) combined for 40 points to lead the Comets to a 67-39 victory over Pe Ell in the opening game of the tournament, on Friday evening.

Pe Ell scored the opening bucket of the game against Naselle, taking an early 2-0 lead, then it was all Comets.

Naselle senior Jacob Lindstrom (5) scored on back-to-back layups, giving the Comets a 4-2 lead that they would never relinquish. Jack Strange (4) added four more, topping a 10-2 Comet run, forcing a Trojan timeout three minutes into the game. A put-back from Naselle junior Leith Chadwick (23) ended the period with the Comets ahead comfortably, 23-6.

The second period started like the first, with a steal and breakaway from Strange (4), followed by another putback by Chadwick (23) as the Naselle lead ballooned to 35-14 at the half.

In third period, Strange (4) fueled a 4-0 run, forcing an early Trojan timeout. Following the timeout, Strange (4) immediately stole a pass and quickly converted another layup. A trey from Trajen Ford (24), capped the third period with the Comets commanding a 52-25 lead.

Strange (4) would finish with a team-high 22 points, followed by Lindstrom (5) with 18. Pe Ell freshmen Blake Nelson (23) scored a team-high 10 points.

Fishermen sink Seagulls 59-29

In the nightcap, Ilwaco jumped out to a 17-6 first period advantage over Seaside, a lead that grew to a 42-15 runaway by halftime, allowing the Fishermen to cruise to a 59-29 win over the Seagulls.

“Thought we had solid contributions all around,” said Ilwaco head coach Eric McMillan, who saw his team notch their second win of the early season.

“We are a young team, but we are gaining confidence which is a good thing. The 27-point second quarter was great for us and it was something to be proud of, but once we got a decent lead, our intensity and attention to detail kind of dropped off which I wasn’t too happy about. As the coach, it’s my job to make sure I keep guys accountable and not let things affect how I expect us to play, and there was plenty that I’d like to get cleaned up for future games. At the end of the day, a win is a win and it was good to get a game where everyone got some time to get better.”