The Columbia High Bruins girls basketball team is proving a contender in the WIAA Class 1A Trico League, after winning two games last week to move into third place in the six-team league.
The Bruins, guided by first-year Coach Justin Frazier, recorded a season-high in points in a 54-32 home win over the Stevenson High Bulldogs (1-3 league, 4-7 overall) on Jan. 11. Columbia (2-1 league, 7-4 overall) followed with a 45-38 win over the La Center High Wildcats (1-3 league, 2-11 overall) Jan. 13 at La Center High School.
“Ella Reed and Sara Miller both played pivotal roles in the win over Stevenson,” said Frazier. “Ella played tough defense against Stevenson’s top scorer, and she shut her down in the fourth quarter, and Sara was a tough presence in the paint on defense.”
The Bruins had eight players score versus Stevenson, with senior guard Teagan Blankenship leading the way with a season-high 19 points. Reed scored 11.
The Bruins led from start-to-finish, and they jumped in front 17-8 over the Wildcats after the first quarter. Led by Sydney Aman (season-high 16 points, 13 rebounds) and Maggie Bryan (13 points), the Bruins extended the margin to 27-16 at halftime. The Bruins played a match-up zone defense in the third, while outscoring the Wildcats, 14-5, for an insurmountable lead.
“We played fantastic defense and that’s what kept us in the game early,” said Frazier. “They (Wildcats) had a height advantage … but our girls just played really hard defense and that’s what helped us win.
“Every night, it just seems like this team has different girls that step up and help lead us to wins. We won against Stevenson with Teagan and Ella as our top scorers. Maggie and Sydney really stepped up to help lead us to the win over La Center.”
The Bruins were seeking to get a third straight win Tuesday at home against the King’s Way High Knights (result was after the printed edition deadline). Columbia’s next game is a 7 p.m. home match-up Thursday versus the Seton Catholic High Cougars (4-0 league, 12-1 overall) in White Salmon.
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