Braves hoopsters on a roll with two big wins

In a fast-paced, often physical non-conference home hoops clash with Clallam Bay Saturday afternoon when several players were flung to the floor – and one even crashed into the scorer's table – the La Conner Braves continued to raise the ceiling on their '22-23 campaign.

The boys high school team recorded its second straight blowout win with a 67-22 romp past the Bruins, a nearly identical outcome to the previous night when the Braves posted a 67-27 triumph at NW1B/2B rival Concrete.

With the twin wins, coach C.J. Woods' charges improved to 5-6 overall going into Saturday's key league matinee test (1:30 p.m.) at Friday Harbor.

The Braves, 2-1 in NW1B/2B standings, have been revitalized since the addition last month of 6'-1" senior transfer Braden Thomas. He led La Conner against Clallam Bay with 24 points, half of which came from beyond the trey arc.

Isaiah Price (17) and Ivory Damien (11) joined Thomas in double-digit scoring as the Bruins struggled to keep pace with a relentless up-tempo attack.

Woods substituted liberally throughout the game, often doing so five players at a time. Nine La Conner players reached the scoring column.

Points frequently came in transition. The Braves' pressure defense began to have an impact early in the second quarter when Brayden Pedroza converted successive breakaways off Bruin turnovers.

Pedroza's buckets came during a decisive 12-0 run that broke open a close contest in the early going.

The spurt was also further fueled by Thomas, who buried two deep treys and a floater in the lane that put the home team ahead 24-6. The Braves rolled to a 30-13 halftime lead.

The story was much the same after the break. With Price doing damage in the paint, Damien scoring along the baseline, Thomas delivering from outside and the Braves' bench doing its part, the lead stretched to as much as 48 points (67-19).

Freshman Daniel Cumming had 10 points to lead a young Clallam Bay team that has no seniors on its roster.

Woods attributed the win to several factors – including less dribbling, making the extra pass and improved shot selection.

All were much in evidence at Concrete, where Price (22), Thomas (17) and Pedroza (12) led the Braves' point parade.

Coincidentally, La Conner bolted to a 30-13 halftime advantage – the very same intermission margin the Braves enjoyed in the Clallam Bay game – en route to a 40-point shellacking.

The Lions didn't help themselves at the free throw line, converting just five of 18 charity tosses.

In Friday Harbor – Woods' high school alma mater – La Conner faces a Wolverines' squad this weekend experiencing rare struggles this season. Usually a strong program and frequent La Conner nemesis, Friday Harbor has won just one of eight games entering the week's action.