Tonasket senior Cierra Silverthorn tries to make a shot against the Chelan defense on Saturday, Jan 31. Tonasket won 47-44.
TONASKET – After a hard loss to Lake Roosevelt, the Tonasket girls basketball team came back to beat Chelan, the number one team in the Caribou Trail League.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Tigers traveled to Grand Coulee, where they lost by one point, 66-65, to the Lake Roosevelt Raiders.
“It came down to free throws,” Greg Moser, head coach, said. “We didn’t shoot very well from the free throw line.”
Senior Cierra Silverthorn, with 23 points, led the team in scoring with fellow seniors Rachel Hutchins, who made 12 points, Dana Pryor, with 11 points, Jessica Kitterman, with 10 points, and Katy Keeton, with nine points.
“It was a great game, but we didn’t play our style defense in the first half and we didn’t commit to the free throw line in the second half and those just hurt,” Moser said. “I think the last four minutes of the game were the biggest highlight because the girls picked up their defensive pressure. We were down by four and they tied it back up.”
Then on Saturday, Jan. 31, the Tigers played at home against Chelan, winning 47-44 in what Moser described as one of the team’s best defensive games.
“April Webber was the sparkplug that picked the team up,” he said. “She came off the bench and scored 12 points.”
Silverthorn again led the team in scoring with 14 points, Webber, a junior, had 12 while Kitterman had 10. Silverthorn also led in total rebounds with 12 while Hutchins had nine. Hutchins had four assists and three steals and Pryor had three assists.
“That was a classic example of a defense game,” Moser said. “The defense was there and that’s what won it. [Webber’s] offensive charge inspired the team.”
He added that Pryor had a baseline drive which sealed the victory for the Tigers while Kitterman came out in the second half and nailed two three-point shots. Moser also said Hutchins held Chelan junior Kelli Bowers to nine points with a great defensive game.
“None of the Chelan players scored in the double digits,” Moser added. “I’m excited the girls came back from a tough loss and were able to beat the number one team.”
As of press time, Tonasket had not yet played against Okanogan. On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Tigers play at home against Cascade at 6 p.m.
The Tonasket girls basketball team extended their winning streak to seven last week with their wins over Omak and Brewster.
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Tonasket played at home against Omak, winning 81-38.
“I could breath after that game,” Greg Moser, head coach, said. “I thought it was one of the better games we’ve played on both ends of the court. Everybody was moving and opportunities came from that.”
Seniors Cierra Silverthorn, Dana Pryor, Jessica Kitterman and Rachel Hutchins led the team in their victory. Silverthorn had 32 points and nine rebounds, Pryor had 12 points, five rebounds and 10 assists, Kitterman had 12 points and Hutchins had seven rebounds.
On Saturday, Jan. 24, Tonasket played their second league game against Brewster away, winning 51-47.
“It seemed very slow,” Moser said. “I felt we were impatient, we didn’t take care of the ball like we normally do. We got into foul trouble but other players stepped up off the bench to take over when the others were in foul trouble.”
Silverthorn, Pryor and Hutchins once again led the team, this time with sophomore Shelby Olma. Silverthorn had 20 points, Pryor had nine points, eight rebounds and three assists, Olma had seven points and Hutchins had 11 rebounds and four assists.
“The big turning point was when April Webber made a power baseline inside, scored and then was fouled,” Moser said. “She made her free-throw, so it ended up being a three-point play.”
Moser said the team is excited about their game against Chelan on Saturday, Jan. 31. In their first game against Chelan, the Tigers lost 48-34.
“The first time we felt it was a tight game but we feel better prepared this time and we feel we can win and tie it up in league standings,” Moser said.
