BATTLE GROUND — Passing is contagious, and every member of the Skyview girls basketball team was catching the bug Friday night.
No worries, that’s a good thing in basketball.
The Storm recorded assists on 17 of their 22 field goals, playing team-ball throughout in a 55-33 victory over Battle Ground. One-third of the way through the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League season, the Storm are at 4-0 with a two-game lead.
“We were told to pass the ball around and have patience,” said Brooke Bowen, who led Skyview with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and also had four of those assists. “We have open looks on the post or open looks on the opposite side, on the wing. We pass it around, that’s what happens.”
It was just as planned for the Storm on this night. Skyview (8-3, 4-0 GSHL) jumped out to a 12-1 lead, and the game was never in doubt. All five starters had at least one assist in the first quarter, and all eight who played in the first half recorded at least one by halftime.
“One thing I admire about this team is they are unselfish,” Skyview coach Jennifer Buscher said. “They’re starting to play some really good team basketball, and that’s fun to see.”
At one point late in the game, Buscher watched as Katie Swanson gave up the chance at a layup on the right side of the backboard to pass to a teammate for a layup on the left side. Buscher turned to her players on the bench, smiled, and said, “We’re too nice.”
“A very unselfish group,” Buscher would say. “Almost too much sometimes.”
On the other end of the floor, there was nothing nice about the Storm on defense. They rushed the Tigers into a an 11-for-53 performance from the floor (21 percent), and then the Storm grabbed just about every miss. Skyview held a 50-25 rebounding edge.
“Our bigs did an exceptional job of blocking out and rebounding+,” Buscher said.
Swanson, nursing an injured ankle that needed to be re-taped just prior to tip-off, came off the bench to score eight points and grab 11 rebounds for the Storm.
After a fast start to the season, Battle Ground (8-2, 2-2) has lost two in a row. The Tigers blew a big lead in Tuesday’s loss to Union, and the Storm expected a motivated Battle Ground team.
“Before the game, we said they would be fired up,” Swanson said. “We had to come out with intensity.”
Instead of a close game, the Tigers did not make their first field goal until four seconds remained in the first quarter.
Haley Hamilton ended up with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting for the Tigers, but the rest of the team combined to go 5 for 40. Haley Grossman scored eight points to go with five rebounds and three blocked shots.
Bowen had 13 of her 15 points in the first half when Skyview built a 15-point lead. Aubrey Ward-El made two 3-pointers in the second half and finished with eight points for the Storm.
“Everyone was on,” Swanson said. “We all play really well together. We have a good feel for each other.”
