Braves scale Mount Baker in bounce back game

The La Conner Braves didn’t stay down long after a tough 68-60 loss at Auburn Adventist last week.

They rebounded by topping Mount Baker in a big non-league weekend test at home.

And it was big on several levels.

Not only did the Braves need to rebound from the Auburn setback, but La Conner knew going in it faced a tall order posed by Mount Baker’s front court tandem of Timothy Soares and T.J. Bass.

The 6’8” Soares was coming off a 19-point, 18-rebound effort in Mount Baker’s 63-57 overtime win against the Mornington Breakers Australian travel team.

The junior post turned in another peak performance at La Conner, finishing with a game-high 19 points.

Yet it wasn’t enough to offset superb perimeter play by the Braves, who improved to 5-2 overall with a convincing 59-43 triumph.

Taylor Ebersole led La Conner with 18 points, half of which came from behind the trey line during a key 17-11 Braves spurt before halftime.

Scott Lindeman tallied another 15 — all on three-pointers — for the winners.

La Conner buried a season-high 11 treys which helped off-set Mount Baker’s height advantage in the paint.

The Mountaineers were literally buried by an avalanche of outside shooting by La Conner.

In addition to Ebersole and Lindeman, Cameron Hansen, Matt Finley, and Terrence Fornsby hit three-pointers for La Conner.

“We played really, really well and were able to knock down our shots,” Braves head coach Scott Novak said afterward.

Take Ebersole, for example. He came off the bench in the second quarter and drained three quick treys to give La Conner breathing room in what to that point had been a seesaw affair.

Ebersole had plenty of help.

Lindeman continued his torrid shooting from the Auburn Adventist game two nights before, burying five three-pointers and stretching the Mount Baker defense. That, in turn, opened up passing lanes for the Braves.

Hansen dished off a game-best eight assists, while Erick Reinstra added another three.

“We moved the ball very well and that was a huge factor for us,” said Novak.

Offensive balance was another.

Nine La Conner players reached the scoring column, including Logan James, who also did yeoman work in the blocks with five rebounds and teamed with Zach Harris to limit damage done by Soares.

“He’s a good player,” Novak said of Soares, “and was able to hit shots when we didn’t get a body on him.”

Bass joined Soares in double figures, finishing with 12 points.

Other than that, the Moun-taineers were held in check.

Colton Ranson, who had 18 points when Mount Baker edged Mornington, managed just two against the Braves.

La Conner was slated to entertain South Whidbey Monday night. The Braves resume non-league play Jan. 2 when they host Coupeville.

To date, Novak says his charges are doing a good job of staying on schedule.

“Our goal every day is to improve and get better,” he said, “and so far that’s happening.”