HOCKINSON – Once Grace Russell started scoring, the Battle Ground girls basketball team was hard to stop.
Russell scored 12 of her 15 points in the second half as Battle Ground shook off a slow start to beat Hockinson 46-38 Wednesday.
Leading 14-8 at halftime, the Tigers (1-1) built a 14-point lead in the third quarter before holding off a late Hockinson push.
Russell and Kylie Smith combined for 14 of the Tigers’ 18 points in the third quarter, which ended with Battle Ground up 32-22. Smith had a game-high 17 rebounds.
“We had to dig down deep and push through it when the shots weren’t falling,” Russell said. “It’s amazing how hard everybody works and how much we put in every day.”
Hockinson (0-5) has started its season with five straight games against local 3A and 4A teams.
“We knew it was going to be a tough early season,” Hockinson coach Eirik Huset said. “But it’s going to make us better.”
Sophomore guard Payton Wangler led the Hawks with 17 points.
Brittany McGuire’s basket with 42 seconds left pulled Hockinson within 41-38, but Battle Ground’s defense and free-throw shooting put the game away.
BATTLE GROUND 46, HOCKINSON 38
BATTLE GROUND (1-1) – Grace Russell 15, Kayla Cruz 8, Brianna Adams 6, Madison Reeves 5, Morgan Stradley 2, Kylie Smith 8, Zoe Mosby 0, Keely Poteet 2, Anneke Kincaid 0. Totals 16 (2) 12-27 46.
HOCKINSON (0-5) – Keeley Nordberg 3, Hannah Neibauer 6, Payton Wangler 17, Grace Gunderson 0, Brittany McGuire 5, Hailee Neibauer 0, Elle Tilkin 5, Lauren Ellensohn 0, Emma Dietel 2. Totals 15 (2) 6-13 38.
Battle Ground 6 8 18 14 — 46
Hockinson 3 5 14 16 — 38
JV – Hockinson 56-18. C – Hockinson 56-25.
