2A Prep Girls Basketball: Woodland pulls away in second half against R.A. Long

Value Menu — Bockert goes for 27 and 20 in Beavers' 66-37 win over Jills

Woodland’s Kennedy Bockert prepares to shoot a free throw during a preseason jamboree at Lower Columbia College on Nov. 26, 2024. On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Bockert scored 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a 66-37 win over R.A. Long in Woodland. — Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media

Sam Barbee for Blast Zone Media

WOODLAND — It’s rare in a basketball game with a 30-point differential that the postgame feelings are flipped. But that’s exactly what happened Wednesday when No. 10 ranked Woodland beat R.A. Long 66-37 in a 2A Greater St. Helens League girls basketball game at the Beaver Den.

Kennedy Bockert did her thing for the Beavers, scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, 13 of which came in the first half.

And sure, you’d be forgiven for making assumptions about the proceedings. But there was more to it than the final score and the counting stats.

There was an R.A. Long team that was relentless and aggressive, and remained persistent even through mistakes at both ends.

And there was a Woodland team that looked “stressed out and not having fun,” according to acting head coach Josh Bunger. Those hosts led just 22-15 at the break and they weren’t happy about it after committing 15 turnovers and making just six shots from the field.

But in the end, Brockert took over, Addi Stading and Lainey Haden hit some shots to provide backup, and the Beavers pulled away to earn their eighth straight win on the same day they appeared in Top-10 of the first RPI power rankings of the season.