The Curlew Cougars came tearing into Friday's matchup with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They rang in the new year with a 49-38 victory over Inchelium. Given Curlew's advantage in MaxPreps' Washington basketball rankings (they are ranked 66th, while Inchelium is ranked 210th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Curlew's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Annika Baker, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 16 rebounds. The contest was Baker's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Emma Lena Baker was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with nine rebounds and five steals.
Curlew pushed their record up to 11-1 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.0 points per game. As for Inchelium, their defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 1-3.
Coincidentally, Curlew and Inchelium will both be playing Republic the next time they take the court. Inchelium will host Republic at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, while Curlew will host them at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
