Courtesy of the Walla Walla-Union Bulletin
WALLA WALLA — When the Walla Walla Community College women’s basketball team visited Yakima Valley on Jan. 15, the Yaks posted a 52-47 win.
Needless to say the Warriors didn’t need any added motivation in Wednesday’s NWAACC East tilt against the Yaks.
“We lost to them at their place and that stung from the night it happened to last night,” WWCC coach Bobbi Hazeltine said. “We’ve been kind of reeling from that loss because we didn’t play very well over there. One of the reasons we came out so hard was because of that loss.”
With revenge on their minds, the Warriors jumped out to a 20-point lead at halftime before cruising to a 71-45 win. Walla Walla (13-7, 7-2 in NWAACC East) restricted the Yaks to only 18 percent shooting in the first half on the strength of its perimeter defense.
With special attention on Yakima Valley’s Paige Albrecht, who lit up the Warriors for 30 points in the first meeting, WWCC trotted out man-to-man defense for the majority of the game.
The Warriors stifling defense took its toll on Albrecht this time around, as she finished 1-of-9 from the floor for only two points.
But rather than get comfortable in the second half, Hazeltine implored her team to keep its foot on the gas.
“We told our kids you play like it’s 0-0,” she said. “We never at any point felt comfortable until the last five or six minutes of the game.”
Although Walla Walla only connected on only seven field goals in the second half, it was the Warriors free throw shooting that helped WWCC extend its lead.
Walla Walla knocked down 18 of its 21 chances at the charity stripe after halftime, with Jessica Siler leading the way. Siler scored a game-high 22 points and went 12-of-13 on her free throw chances.
Siler, a 5-foot-11 forward, managed only nine points in the first matchup, but Hazeltine said her height and jumping ability were key against Yakima Valley.
“She’s not one of our best free-throw shooters, but she’s certainly put in a lot of time and it’s starting to pay off,” Hazeltine said. “They really couldn’t stop her, except for fouling her.”
Bailey Nygaard and Amy DeLong also reached double figures with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
The Warriors also held a 42-28 rebound advantage, as MeShel Rad hauled in a game-high eight boards for WWCC.
“When she was in there, she dominated the boards,” Hazeltine said of Rad, who battled foul trouble in the first half. “She and I talked this week about needing her rebound dominance. We had it last night. She did a nice job on the glass for us.”
The Warriors, who currently sit second in the NWAACC East behind Columbia Basin College, travel to face Wenatchee Valley on Saturday.
“It’s always tough at their place,” Hazeltine said of Wenatchee. “They’ve got a good crowd up there. They’ve knocked some teams off and they’re still in the hunt.”
Box Score
http://nwaacc.org/basketball/box_score3.php?g=3279&sport=wbasketball&home=WWCC&visitor=YVCC
