WP Boys Stifle Pioneers

WAITSBURG - For the WP Boys basketball team, good things come in threes - three-pointers that is. After a close back-and-forth against the McLoughlin Pioneers, the Cardinals came out on top, 63-57 to secure a win on Senior Night.

The Pioneers hit the court fierce and ready to fight for a win. But the Cardinals were ready to come along for the ride, working hard to match Mac-Hi points.

The Pioneers moved quickly around the court but predictable moves from big players allowed quick Cardinals to sneak into the gaps and stifle shots to keep the score close.

Well-timed rebounds and three point shots kept the Cardinals in tow as the Pio­neers went for the net end­ing the first quarter 15-12, Pioneers.

In the second quarter, the Cardinals started to exploit some of the Pioneers' weak­nesses, rebounding more quickly and denying shots but they were unable to put a gap in the score.

The lead turned over between teams repeatedly; with about 10 ties in the first half and four lead changes.

The WP boys began to synch up, finding their team­mates with a snappy preci­sion for passes and saves. Their rebounds looked comfortably drilled and re­hearsed like a baseball team in a pickle.

That timing proved es­sential to keep the score close, ending the half with a score of 29-29.

Both teams came back from halftime ready to work to pull ahead. The Pioneers got more aggressive and the Cardinals moved for the openings racking up nine steals as a team in the second half, 15 as a team for the game.

The Cardinals played smart man-to-man defense and kept the ball on their half of the court, slowing down Pioneer scoring. The Pioneers' shots connected less frequently, allowing the Cardinals to pull ahead 41-37 at the end of the third quarter.

The Pioneers upped the aggression again in the fourth quarter, with fouls costing them points and op­portunities to take the lead. The Cardinals garnered momentum and clung to the lead hitting three point shots to widen the gap. The Pio­neers responded to Cardinal threes with threes of their own, but couldn't match Cardinal timing.

Pioneer aggression put Cardinal players on the line to stretch the lead in the final minutes of the game. Four free throws from Owen Lan­ning increased the Cardinal lead to ten points in the final minute of the game.

The Cardinals held strong and kept the Pioneers from closing the gap, ending the game with a final score of 63-57, W-P.

Head coach Tavis Crit­tenden said the game was the Cardinals' first playing man-to-man and the seniors did well leading the group.

"It was the most selfless game we've played," Crit­tenden said. "They wanted to win for the seniors."

Crittenden said the boys were able to pass the ball around and work together to secure the Senior Night vic­tory, which was exciting for the team.

The Cardinals will play DeSales on Friday and Walla Walla Valley Academy on Saturday to end their season.