Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Gorillas gaining momentum heading toward districts
Davenport senior Hanna Orvis tries a 10-foot jump shot over Upper Columbia Academy defenders. Orvis and the Gorillas pulled away from the Lions 43-25 Tuesday, Feb. 1.
DAVENPORT-After a five-week long stretch in which the Gorilla varsity girls didn't win a game, things began to click. Davenport has now won four of its last five games in an eight-day span and could finish as high as fourth in the NE2B ahead of the district playoffs Monday.
The most recent victory was a 43-25 handling of Upper Columbia Academy on Senior Night Tuesday, Feb. 1. That was preceded by a 47-20 win over Chewelah last Saturday and a comeback, gritty 38-35 win at Asotin last Friday.
Against the Lions Tuesday, Davenport found its offense in the interior behind eighth-grader Clare Lathrop and junior Lena Waters.
Lathrop converted eight of her 12 shots, scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Waters added 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
"With who we have and the point of basketball, trying to get it in to open it up more for the outside...I would like to rely on some higher percentage shots," Davenport head coach Stacia Soliday said. "Clare has gotten more comfortable and is getting used to playing high school opponents and opponents that are as tall as her...and Lena is going stronger, knowing that she doesn't have to be timid and go to the basket."
Behind the recent success also comes suffocating defense, and, admittedly, a weaker strength of schedule. Davenport hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than 50 points since a Jan. 22 date at Colfax but has only played a top seven team in the league once in the last five games. But the Gorillas held UCA to 23% shooting from the field and pulled away in the fourth quarter, overcoming 15 turnovers to UCA's six.
Davenport is gaining momentum at the right time, with two games left in the regular season before the district playoffs begin Monday, Feb. 7. The Gorillas travel to Spangle to play dominant Liberty Friday before finishing the regular season against Lind-Ritzville/Sprague at home Saturday.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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