The Willapa Valley Vikings couldn't capitalize on their home-court advantage in their season opener. They were just a bucket shy of victory on Wednesday and fell 34-33 to Hoquiam. Willapa Valley has not had much luck with Hoquiam recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Several Vikings players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Hadlee Russell, who scored 16 points along with 6 steals and 5 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Paislee Hurley, who scored 4 points along with 3 blocks.
Willapa Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 0-1. As for Hoquiam, the win got them back to even at 1-1.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Willapa Valley will take on Oakville at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. As for Hoquiam, they will be playing at home against Aberdeen at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Aberdeen and Hoquiam are at an even 5-5 over their past ten head-to-heads.