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WINNING MOVES – La Conner Braves’ Cameron Hansen deals with pressure from Friday Harbor during the final home game of the season on Friday. The Wolverines had been undefeated in the league prior to the 46-43 contest against the Braves. The win clinched the league championship for the Braves with an overall season record, including non-league play of 16-3 to Friday Harbor’s 15-4. – Photo by Amylynn Richards
Going in, few gave La Conner much of a shot in its rematch with undefeated NW2B leader Friday Harbor last weekend.
Turns out, it wasn’t shots that mattered for the most part.
It was rebounding and de-fense.
And on those twin scores, the Braves were clear winners in a gritty 46-43 upset triumph before a large and enthusiastic home crowd at Landy James Gym on Friday.
With the win, La Conner improved to 16-3 overall and avenged an earlier 52-37 loss to the Wolverines, and by virtue of a prior coin flip reclaimed the league’s top seed going into the regular season’s final week.
Taylor Ebersole paced the victors with 13 points, and perhaps more importantly matched teammate Zach Harris with seven rebounds.
“The big keys for us,” veteran La Conner head coach Scott Novak said afterward, “were great rebounding and great defense.”
He noted that three-point aces Scott Lindeman and Wilson Crawford also knifed inside to collect nine boards between them.
Lindeman joined Ebersole in double figures with 12 points, including three deep treys. Cameron Hansen finished with 11 tallies, among them four clutch free throws in the final stanza.
Erick Reinstra likewise closed with a flourish, scoring four points in the fourth period.
His perimeter trey helped stave off a frenetic Friday Harbor comeback bid.
“We had stretched the lead to 11 points (34-23) after halftime,” Novak stressed, “but give Friday Harbor credit. They didn’t quit. They tightened up defensively and held us scoreless for about five minutes.
“So,” he added, “Hansen’s three free throws and the three-pointer by Reinstra in the fourth quarter were huge for us.”
Friday Harbor’s Peter Strasser led all scorers with 20 points. But the supporting cast that had played so well for the Wolverines in the teams’ previous clash on the island wasn’t a factor this time around.
No Friday Harbor player other than Strasser reached double digits.
“I think we set the tone early,” Novak noted, “by coming out and playing with a lot of energy early on. We set the tempo by playing aggressively at both ends of the court.”
Especially on defense.
La Conner challenged shots and sealed off passing lanes while edging ahead 24-21 at the break.
A 10-2 run, fueled by a pair of Lindeman treys, gave the Braves what briefly seemed a cozy cushion midway through the third period.
Not so. Instead it would be a battle the rest of the way.
A battle that might well resurface in post-season.
“It was an exciting win for us,” said Novak, “but we could end up playing them again real soon. But it was definitely a nice win. There was something on the line for us and our guys responded well.”
In a related note:
• La Conner rounded out NW2B action late Tuesday at Darrington. The Bi-District Tournament is scheduled Feb. 14-21, with the Braves likely hosting Orcas next week. The winner of that game advances to Sedro-Woolley and is projected to face either Friday Harbor or Auburn Adventist.
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