LA CENTER — The La Center Wildcats put themselves in good shape in the District 4 Class 1A boys basketball tournament by being in really good shape.
“We like to finish strong,” La Center’s Will Rice said. “Our conditioning is pretty good. We’re blowing past people in the fourth quarter when they’re tired.”
The Tenino Beavers must have been sick and tired of the Wildcats by the end of their game Thursday.
La Center scored 33 points in the fourth and cruised to a 68-36 victory in the opening round of the tournament. The Wildcats will face Kalama in the semifinals Saturday at W.F. West High School in Chehalis, with the winner assured a trip to state.
Wyatt Aguirre scored 20 points and Rice scored all 15 of his points in the second half, leading La Center’s charge.
“Everything’s clicking. Everything’s clicking,” Aguirre said. “Our defense really picked up. Our defense is what separated us.”
Aguirre scored the final seven points for La Center in the third quarter. He buried a 3-pointer with a minute to play in the period, then scored seconds later after Brody Seter’s steal and assist.
A three-point game at the half turned into an 11-point La Center lead going into the final quarter.
Then the Wildcats unleashed a wicked attack.
Aguirre hit a 3-pointer to make it 45-20, then Rice made three consecutive 3-pointers. Chase Davison added another from long range, giving the Wildcats five 3-pointers in a row. Aguirre would later make another.
In all, La Center made 12 of 19 shots from the floor in the quarter, including six 3-pointers.
“We just kept pushing and pushing, and when the other team’s getting tired, we’re getting open shots,” Rice said. “We didn’t even realize we were up by so much. We just kept doing what we were doing.”
It was a snowball effect.
“Once we got some steals on defense, got some open shots, then the crowd got into it and gave us energy,” Aguirre said.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures. Dalton Morgan came off the bench and was 5 of 7 from the floor for 13 points. Davison added 10 points. Rice and Seter each had five steals for La Center.
Tano Bailon led Tenino with nine points. Jon Jones Newman had eight points and eight rebounds.
LA CENTER 68, TENINO 36
TENINO — Tano Bailon 9, Wyatt Blencoe 7, Nihls Peterson 0, Thomas Pier 8, Jon Jones Newman 8, Dyllan Spector 3, Greigh Hill 0, Jack Burnham 0, Robbie Wall 1. Totals 13-44 (4-18) 6-12 36.
LA CENTER — Dalton Morgan 13, Chase Davidson 10, Will Rice 15, Wyatt Aguirre 20, Brody Seter 2, Sean Nolan 0, Jake Morris 0, Max Hiller 8, Matt Bahr 0, Jack Hiller 0, Jake Wise 0. Totals 24-59 (9-23) 11-15 68.
