Luna landing: Braves survive Hurricane threat

It was a Hurricane warning that La Conner High head basketball coach Scott Novak didn’t take lightly.

The 1B Mount Vernon Christian Hurricanes were coming to town Friday with a skilled post in Carter Annema and an ability to score from the perimeter.

And the Braves would be minus senior wing Brady Nelson, who had drained three deep treys in La Conner’s win over 1A Nooksack Valley at the recent Crush in the Slush hoopfest in Port Townsend.

Those worries, though, were eclipsed by a long-awaited Luna landing.

As in La Conner standout Budda Luna, sidelined by illness for a couple weeks, but medically cleared for the Mount Vernon Christian game.

Luna, the State 2B Football Player of the Year runner-up, still wasn’t at full strength, according to Novak.

But close. Very close.

Luna scored 15 points, a dozen coming after the break, to help lead the Braves to a key 56-45 triumph.

“Having him back,” Novak said afterward, “is a pretty big deal. He wasn’t completely 100 percent, but he was able to do a great job for us inside and slashing to the basket.”

Novak also received a boost from southpaw guard Khalid Al-Dossari, who finished with 13 points, including a big trey in the final stanza, when La Conner closed with a 15-11 spurt.

“Khalid,” Novak stressed, “had a real good game.”

As did Braves scoring leader Terrance Fornsby, who meshed four three-pointers en route to a game-high 19 points.

Fornsby had 14 points by intermission, more than half La Conner’s total at that juncture. He also paced the Braves with five steals and four assists.

“Terrance played very well for us again,” said Novak.

It was reminiscent of the stellar performance Fornsby turned in during the team’s emotional win over Nooksack at Port Townsend.

He had plenty of help, too.

“It was a total team effort,” Novak said. “Everybody contributed.”

Freshman guard Charlie Cram added a pair of first half treys, while Scottie Miller posted up for a bucket in the third quarter and Jake Schneider converted a free throw.

Luna’s contribution, in particular, can’t be overstated, Novak said. In addition to providing double-digit scoring, he also reeled in nine rebounds — six off the offensive glass — while dishing off a pair of assists and recording four steals.

He was also a steadying influence as La Conner staved off an MVC comeback bid with a solid fourth period.

“I really like this team, but we’re definitely a work in progress,” Novak told La Conner Weekly News on Sunday. “We’re still finding a way to play with a lead.”

Bryson Smith had 13 points for Mount Vernon Christian. John Phifer added another 10 for the Hurricanes.

The Braves, who visited Shoreline Christian late Tuesday, are at Friday Harbor tomorrow, Thursday, for a high-stakes NW2B pairing with the Wolverines. La Conner and Friday Harbor entered the week in a virtual second place tie in league standings, one game behind Orcas.