Lady Monarchs Sting Hornets in ShoWare Shootout

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Saturday Dec 21st 2013 2A Girls Basketball
ShoWare Center 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Mark Morris 21 19 21 14 75
White River 14 8 19 12 53

See game recap below
 


Lady Monarchs Sting Hornets in ShoWare Shootout
By Steven Dion

Steve Rooklidge and his Mark Morris squad had plans to make their two hour trek north to Kent from Longview worthwhile at the ShoWare Shootout against White River from the SPSL. The Monarchs wasted no time finding their groove as their pesky defense caused numerous turnovers leading to transition buckets. The ball movement by Mark Morris was phenomenal throughout the entire contest; making the extra pass, finding the open shooter. After one frame, Mark Morris built a seven point lead. White River certainly knew their size disadvantage going into this game would create matchup problems throughout and they would have to find other ways to battle the Monarchs. Unfortunately, Mark Morris’ sizzling shooting continued through the rest of the first half. Going into the break, the Hornets trailed by eighteen points.

MMHS picked up where they left off in the second half as their jump-shots continued to fall and the stops on the defensive end led to high percentage shot in the frontcourt. Coach Rooklidge said he was pleased and even surprised how well his team was able to execute on both sides of the floor. Their ability to handle a talented White River team the way they did is a testament to an experienced Greater St. Helens League frontrunner. Both teams were able to finish with four players in double-digit scoring. However, the Eaton duo of Mark Morris both registered double-doubles as Kourtney knocked down 16 points and 11 assists while Karley scored 21 and grabbed 11 rebounds. Final score 75-53 in favor of the Monarchs.

Top Performers:
Mark Morris
Karley Eaton – 21 points (9/17 FG’s 2/2 FT’s), 11 rebounds, 5 assists

Seahawks Soar Over Hornets in SPSL Showdown

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Saturday Dec 21st 2013 3A-2A Boys Basketball
ShoWare Center 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Peninsula 8 17 13 17 55
White River 6 18 13 11 48

See game recap below
 


Seahawks Soar Over Hornets in SPSL Showdown
By Steven Dion

The first boys matchup of the ShoWare Shootout featured two South Puget Sound League squads in White River and Peninsula. The Seahawks donned the letters DWWD on the backs of their jersey which according to coach Jack Jackson represents their commitment to “Do What We Do”. This motto carried Peninsula to a 4-2 record heading into their matchup Saturday which was their win total a year ago. However, the Hornets were anxious to go toe-to-toe with their opponent from a high classification to finish strong going in the holiday break.

Nerves appeared to affect both squads early as scoring was minimal and players were reluctant to shoot and create scoring opportunities. After the first frame the Hawks led 8-6. The energy picked up in the second quarter as the McLaughlin brothers JaQuori and O’Shea of Peninsula began to carry the bulk of the Hawks offensive output. The pair scored a combined 33 points on the contest including 10 of 12 from the charity stripe. Despite being undersized the Hornets were aggressive on the boards including 10 from senior guard Brandon Dove. Going into the break, both teams shot 42% from the field and PHS carried the slimmest of leads at 25-24.

This league showdown remained tight for the majority of the contest as one or two possessions separated the teams. In total, there were seven ties and sixteen lead changes throughout the game. Coincidentally, both teams notched 13 apiece in the third so the one-point Peninsula lead carried into the final period of play. The Hornets prolific offensive effort yielded an impressive 34 shots in the second half to PHS’s 18, but only 8 fell through. Meanwhile JaQuori Parker converted on some critical buckets down the stretch in addition to his flawless shooting from the charity stripe. The Hawks built their biggest lead of nine points in the fourth and didn’t look back. When the dust settled, the Hawks picked up a 55-48 victory. They are now 5-2 on the campaign.

Top Performers:
Peninsula
JaQuori McLaughlin – 25 points (7/16 FG’s, 8/8 FT’s), 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals