2A Prep Girls Basketball: R.A. Long spreads the love in lopsided win over Hudson's Bay
Bench Mob — Lumberjills see 10 girls score in 63-16 win over Eagles
By Ben Zimmerman / Special to Blast Zone Media
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By far the loudest roar rattling the Lumberdome on a night overflowing with cause for R.A. Long merriment came late in the third quarter, a 63-16 victory over Hudson’s Bay well in hand, shortly after Lumberjills head coach J.D. Ott substituted reserves for his entire starting five. RAL junior Delanie Zueger knocked down a 14-foot straightaway jumper at the 1:14 mark, the Eagles called timeout, and Jills’ starters bolted off their comfortable sideline furniture onto the court, hollering, to mob Zueger as if she’d just hit the game-winner in a State playoff game.
“We just want everybody to succeed,” explained RAL senior Alauna Brown, who poured in 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting to lead all scorers on a night when she and the program’s other three soon-to-be graduates were feted in a pregame ceremony. It was Brown’s second 20-point game of the week.
“I love Delanie. I love everyone on the team. It’s so rewarding to see them go in and score, and have good plays,” Brown continued. “They didn’t get a lot of playing time against Columbia River; seeing them go in, and contribute to the game like that It’s so fun. Just knowing that they put in the work at practice, to be able to go in and do it.”
Ten different Lumberjills made at least one basket against the Eagles in 2A Greater St. Helens League play to help RAL bounce back from that 65-40 league loss to River on Wednesday referenced by Brown. It was a Get-Right performance made all the more heartening for the extent to which everyone played a role. This included a mixture of all 11 suited players seeing time – and playing hard – throughout a second half in which the Jills held a diligent, feisty Bay program which is still building varsity rhythm to just two points.
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