Oak Harbor grabbed the lead late in the first quarter and never let go to record its first Wesco win of the season, defeating visiting Marysville-Pilchuck High School 39-26 in girls basketball Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The Wildcats (1-3, 2-12) will attempt to make it two straight when they go to Everett (2-2, 6-8) at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23.
The M-P game was close throughout the first half.
The Tomahawks held a slight edge until Bryn Langrock fired in a three-pointer for Oak Harbor to give the Wildcats their first lead, 9-6, with 2:25 left in the first quarter.
From that point, the Wildcats led, but never by more than three points, the remainder of the half.
Oak Harbor was up 11-9 and 17-15 after the first two quarters.
The second half was a different story.
Marysville-Pilchuck (0-3, 0-13) scored the first point of the third quarter, then the Wildcats took off.
Deja Bunch scored, Julie Jansen tallied twice (both on assists from Jinai Guzman) and Langrock hit a bucket as Oak Harbor went on an 8-0 run.
Later in the quarter, AnnaBelle Whitefoot scored off an assist from Jansen, then Bunch scored with the help of Guzman and Oak Harbor took an 11-point lead, 29-18, into the fourth period.
Two hoops by Janae Payne, one assisted by Lydia Peplinski, gave the Wildcats their biggest lead, 35-20, with 5:44 left.
M-P never got closer than 10.
Ten different Wildcats scored in the game, which pleased coach Jonathan Atkins.
“We don’t have a lot of people who can score in bunches, so we need to get balanced scoring,” he said. “We did a good job of sharing the ball; we played well as a team.”
Langrock and Jansen each scored nine points; Payne scored six; Bunch four; Rashanna Graham, Guzman, Whitefoot, Hayley Lundstrom and Montana Koslowski two each; and Peplinski one.
Langrock and Whitefoot both pulled down six rebounds; Lundstrom had five.
Skyleen Inthathirath scored 13 points for the Tomahawks.
Atkins said Friday’s showdown with Everett “should be a battle” and that the focus Thursday in practice will be on “playing well on the road.”
