Walla Walla girls down rival Richland, 61-41

WALLA WALLA-The Walla Walla girls varsity basketball team hosted rival Richland Bombers in a conference game Friday January 24th. The opening quarter had several lead changes. #22 Emmalyn Ogden hit an open jump shot in the early going to retake the lead for Walla Walla 7-6. Richland would answer on the very next play to take the lead 8-7. #23 Rian Clear would take it right back with a jump shot in the lane making the score 9-8. Richland was distributing the ball well as four different players had combined for their first eight points. The quarter would end with the Bombers holding an 11-9 lead.

#33 Monica Miller started the 2nd quarter by completing a three-point play and giving the Blue Devils the lead back at 12-11. Walla Walla looked great on both sides of the ball in the second quarter. Their full court press caused Richland problems and produced steals and fast breaks for the offense. With time running out in the quarter, Rian Clear launched and sunk a three-pointer from what looked like NBA distance to give her team a 27-23 lead at the half.

Walla Walla began building on the lead in the second half and at one point had it up to eight points before Richland's #14 Laura Smith scored her thirteenth point of the game cutting the score to 36-30. The third quarter would end with the score 38-33 Blue Devils. In the fourth quarter Walla Walla was able to put the game out of reach for Richland. #34 Mia Huxoll completed a three point play to put her team up by ten points for the first time in the game at 45-35. The fourth quarter really belonged to Rian Clear. Scoring on a combination of jump shots and free throws, she amassed twelve points in the quarter for a total of twenty-eight for the game. Walla Walla went on to win by a score of 61-41.

Coach Morgan Jo Poynor said this when asked how her team was able to pull away in the fourth quarter. "You know we were really able to execute there. We outscored them in the second half 34-18 and it really came down to trusting our defense and knowing that we can defend Jayda, a really good player and it happened."

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total

Richland 11 12 10 8 41

Walla Walla 9 18 11 23 61

Scoring

WW: Kysa Jausoro 2, Emmalyn Ogden 9, Rian Clear 28, Monica Miller 13, Karyssa Olivares 2, Mia Huxoll 7