Willapa Valley had to start their season on the road on Tuesday, and it wasn't the start they were hoping for. They fell just short of the Hoquiam Grizzlies by a score of 53-51. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Vikings of the 78-65 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in November of 2023.
Willapa Valley lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Nathan Fluke, who had 12 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Fluke is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed four or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Aust, who went 6 for 12 en route to 12 points plus five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Willapa Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in five consecutive games dating back to last season.
Willapa Valley has already played their next match, a 51-50 defeat against Columbia Adventist Academy on the 5th. As for Hoquiam, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 61-39 loss against Lake Roosevelt on the 6th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
