Lady Cruisers Get Back On Track

The Lady Cruiser basketball team got back to their winning ways last week with victories over Tenino and Hoquiam to push their overall record to 10-3 and 2-1 in 1A Evergreen Conference play to move them into the second-place spot.

The team put in a dominant performance on Tuesday night with their tenacious defense while their offense exploded for 63 points as they cruised to a 63-18 victory over the Tenino Beavers.

Holding the Beavers to only 4 first-half points and 18 overall helped the Cruisers end their two-game skid and even up their league record to 1-1.

Eatonville opened up the game on a 17-0 run in the first quarter to lead 17-0. They would then go on a 10-0 run to start the second quarter before Tenino made their first bucket of the night halfway through the quarter. The Cruisers would head into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 27-4 lead.

"We were outplayed two games in a row and the team did not want that to happen again. They were very focused at practice on Monday and we fine-tuned some things. Montesano showed us how effective a defense can be and we used that to inspire ours and they really stepped up the intensity. It helped to have the team back to health as well so we could play everyone and keep them fresh," commented head coach Deanna Andersen on the team's 27-0 surge to start the game.

The Lady Cruisers came out in the third quarter with a little more tenacity than in the previous half. They scored 24 points in the quarter to take a 51-8 lead into the final period before cruising to a 63-18 victory.

Ryan Stammen and Hannah Kralik's tenacious defense against the Beavers' point guard was pivotal in the game, along with others. Numerous times, they weren't allowing Tenino to get the ball across the half-court timeline which caused turnovers. On Tenino's first possession, they set the tempo early when Kralik forced a jump ball, and then Stammen stole the inbounds pass following that jump ball.

Andersen praised Stammen and Kralik for their defensive play.

"We have been working hard on clean, quick defense to pressure the guards and this was a great test for Hannah and Ryan. They go all out with effort and they are learning to get good position so as to not get the fouls. The refs called a tight game on them so it was great experience as they continue to improve."

Offensively, every Cruiser who suited up saw minutes in the game and scored. That is something that doesn't happen often in basketball.

Andersen continued on to compliment the team and how well they all support each other.

"Our first string came out ready to redeem themselves after two tough losses on the road and gave us some breathing room from the start; this allowed the whole bench to play for large quantities of time. The whole team stepped up and played very hard and worked their positions well. This opened up opportunities for everyone on the roster to score. That in itself is a goal we had and shows how team-oriented the girls are. They all support each other."

Bailey Andersen led Eatonville with 18 points.

Box Score

EATONVILLE 63, TENINO 18

Eatonville 17 10 24 12 - 63

Tenino 0 4 4 10 – 18

Eatonville: Bailey Andersen 18, Brooke Blocker 12, Alayna Meyer 9, Ryan Stammen 8, Hannah Kralik 5, Hailey Hall 4, Sara Smith 4, Ella Gendreau, Sadie Mettler 2, Lilian Bickford 2

Tenino: Brianna Asay 10, Seaonna Morgan 3, Kiyah Goodwin 2, Jaeleen Woodward 2, Rilee Jones 1

The Cruisers would finish up the week with a trip to Hoquiam to take on the Grizzlies.

On a night that seemed as though both teams left their offenses in the locker room, Bailey Andersen was able to put her team on her back with 19 second-half points, including an 11-point fourth quarter to help the Cruisers take down the Hoquiam Grizzlies 37-28.

Eatonville struggled with Hoquiam's press which led to 36 Eatonville turnovers, but the team battled through the turnovers and came out on top.

Box Score

EATONVILLE 37, HOQUIAM 28

Eatonville 5 6 10 14 - 37

Hoquiam 6 0 7 15 – 28

Eatonville: Bailey Andersen 22, Hannah Kralik 4, Alayna Meyer 3, Brooke Blocker 3, Hailey Hall 2, Lilian Bickford 2, Stammen 1

Hoquiam: Chloe Kennedy 10, Graci Bonney-Spradlin 9, Ashlinn Cady 7, Katlyn Brodhead 2.

Up Next: The Lady Cruisers only have one game on the schedule this week. They will host the Elma Eagles on Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00 pm.