Basketball Recap: Make It Two in a Row for Willapa Valley

If Pe Ell wanted to avenge their loss from the last time they played Willapa Valley, they should've done a better job of containing Lucas Lusk. The Vikings came out on top against the Trojans by a score of 50-40 on Saturday with plenty of help from Lusk, who almost dropped a double-double with 16 points and nine boards. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down nine or more in each of the last three games he's played.

JB Russell

Rebounds

12/20/25 vs Pe Ell	12
12/12/25 vs Adna	12
12/03/25 vs Hoquiam	9
12/19/25 vs Naselle	8
12/11/25 @ Raymond/South Bend	8
+ 3 more games

Another player making a difference was JB Russell, who dropped a double-double with ten points and 12 boards. He has become a key player for Willapa Valley: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least eight rebounds, but 1-2 otherwise.

Blake Nelson and Wyatt Harris certainly did their best on Saturday to avoid the loss. Nelson shot 45% from the field to rack up 12 points in addition to eight boards and five steals, while Harris went 7-for-11 en route to 19 points. Harris continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Liam McGrath was another key player, putting up four points.

The victory made it two in a row for Willapa Valley and bumps their season record up to 5-3. As for Pe Ell, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.

Willapa Valley didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 66-25 win against La Conner on the 29th. As for Pe Ell, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 74-35 defeat against Ilwaco on the 29th.