Boys basketball: Capital tops River Ridge, 93-82; Brad Wallace with 44 in Hawks' loss

By Meg Wochnick
Staff writer

OLYMPIA – By no means are the Capital Cougars where they want to be yet.

But if Friday night’s 93-82 victory over River Ridge in the teams’ 2A Evergreen Conference boys basketball showdown mean anything in mid-December, it’s that the Cougars should be considered league title contenders.

Since starting the season 1-2 with nonleague losses to Olympia and Auburn Mountainview, the Cougars have now won four straight. Chemistry, with a new coaching staff, led by first-year head coach Dave Mastin and a new system, has been key, too, as the Cougars are starting to gel.

“Now, we’re getting used to it,” senior guard Jared Eidenmuller said, “and playing much better.”

Eidenmuller was one of four Cougars in double figures with a game-high 24 points. The senior guard had 20 of his 24 points in the second half, including a span of three consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter with the third 3 giving the Cougars a 57-45 lead inside 2 minutes left in the third quarter.

“When I make a couple, I feel good and I keep shooting and try to make them every time,” said Eidenmuller, who was 4 of 9 from long distance.

There were times when Capital simply couldn’t miss from the floor, finishing 32 of 54 for 59 percent. The Cougars (5-2 overall, 2-0 2A EvCo) did it with a little bit of everything, including transition buckets, 3-pointers, and putbacks. In addition to Eidenmuller’s 24 points was Calvin Truong with 20, Keenan Williams with 19 and Justin Rudd with 14. Six-foot-5 senior post Mat Cox, who finished with eight points, also had a game-high 15 rebounds.

While the Hawks never led, senior Brad Wallace kept them in the game. He finished with a career-high 44 points on 12 of 27 shooting. One of his six 3-pointers on the night pulled the Hawks to within seven at 52-47 and nine at 59-50 after three quarters.

“They shot the lights out and we didn’t do a very good job adjusting and staying home on shooters,” River Ridge coach John Barbee said. “Our philosophy is win hour home games and split on the road. We didn’t do that.”

The loss dropped the Hawks to 3-5 overall and 0-2 in the 2A EvCo. The Hawks lost 61-60 on the road at W.F. West Tuesday.

GIRLS
River Ridge 60, Capital 38
Jazzlynn Brewster had a game-high 16 points and seven steals and freshman point guard MaKenna Schultz had 12 points leading the Hawks to their first 2A Evergreen Conference victory.

With its full-court pressure defense, the Hawks forced early turnovers on the Cougars and jumped out to an early 24-10 lead following a 3-pointer by Schultz. In all, River Ridge forced 15 steals, with seven coming from Brewster. River Ridge shot 51 percent (21-of-41) from the floor.

River Ridge coach Jackie Robinson said Friday’s game was “very important” given its tough 33-point loss to W.F. West Tuesday night in its opener.

“I wanted to see how the team would respond,” Robinson said. “That would tell a lot about the team.”