By Mike Weber
For Columbia Gorge News
WHITE SALMON — The Columbia High Bruins extended their win streak to six in a row by getting two more victories in WIAA Class 1A Trico League girls basketball games last week.
The No. 12-ranked Bruins (8-2 Trico, 9-4 overall), guided by fourth-year Coach Justin Frazier, won a Jan. 20 home game 49-39 over the Kalama High Chinooks (4-6 Trico, 5-11 overall). The Bruins jumped out to a 16-8 first quarter lead, and outscored the Chinooks 13-8 in the second to build a double-digit halftime advantage at 29-16.
“The team is really starting to come together towards the end of the season, which is really good,” said Frazier. “I’m glad that they’re having some success.”
Senior Halle Koch led the Bruins’ offense with 16 points, and she also had five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Mckena Carlock scored 10 points for Columbia.
“What I like about our team is that, on any given night, it seems like a different player steps up and has a good performance for us,” said Frazier. “Sometimes we have high scoring games by Halle, Joella [Posini], Sara [Miller] and we’ve been getting a lot of quality playing time from Mckena, too.”
The Bruins have recorded double-digit wins in all six of the victories in their recent impressive win streak, the longest streak in Frazier’s Columbia High basketball coaching career.
The Bruins were then shorthanded in their following contest, playing without Claira Camacho (injured right ankle) and Taniah Barajas (illness). Despite the extenuating circumstances, the Bruins overcame the adversity and extended their win streak to six following a 36-23 road win Jan. 22 over the La Center High Wildcats (4-6 Trico, 7-10 overall).
“What helped us against La Center, we had lots of solid time by Madison Russum, Whittney Gross and also freshman Bailey Rickman, who played the most minutes that she has ever had in a varsity game,” said Frazier. “Joella and the other girls usually get the most credit for scoring the most points. These other three girls came in and filled in well, and did the hard work by doing what they needed to do by playing great defense to help us get the win.”
The Bruins led 9-2 after one quarter, 17-11 at halftime and they increased their defensive intensity level in the second half, all while outscoring the Wildcats 19-12. The game marked the fifth time this season that the Bruins held an opponent to 30 points or less.
Posini (11 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, three blocks) helped lead the Bruins to the win. Miller added eight points and eight rebounds.
The Bruins were seeking to get a seventh consecutive win in a Jan. 27, Trico road game at fifth-ranked and league leading Seton Catholic (10-0 Trico, 13-2 overall) in Vancouver. The Bruins will play their next game home game Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. against the Fort Vancouver High Trappers (6-5 Trico, 8-7 overall).
The Bruins are tied for second place in the eight-team Trico standings with the King’s Way Christian High Knights (8-2 Trico, 11-4 overall). The top four teams qualify for the district playoffs.
“We’re just hoping to keep battling and our goal is to win our three of our last four games and hold onto second place,” said Frazier. “Being in second would give us a district playoff home game, which would be the first time in a long time that we’ve ever had a home playoff game.”
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