Reardan girls run away with win

REARDAN - The Screaming Eagles' girls basketball team walloped Kettle Falls 58-36 Tuesday, Jan. 30, in senior Kassidy Koch's last game. The victory was Reardan's 11th in its last 12 games and sixth straight.

Reardan's stifling defense and fast-breaking offense overwhelmed the Bulldogs from the opening tip-off. Freshmen Tenice Waters and Rylynn Green each scored five points in the opening minutes to help Reardan jump to a 16-4 lead after one quarter.

In the second quarter, Waters' hot shooting continued. She scored eight points while the entire Bulldogs' team scored only six. Green and eighth grader Chasyn Waters chipped in four points each, as the Screaming Eagles built a 32-10 halftime lead.

Reardan outdid itself in the third quarter by putting 22 points on the scoreboard. Freshman Lillie Whitman hit two 3-point shots to spark a flurry of scoring.

The Screaming Eagles' unselfish play was on display as five players scored points.

Heading into the last frame, Reardan led 49-20.

As the game wound down, Kettle Falls showed resilience. The Bulldogs ended the game on a 16-4 run to make the final score 58-36 in favor of Reardan.

Tenice Waters led all players with 19 points and nine rebounds. Green and Chasyn Waters scored 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Whitman and Mackenzie Bjornberg each scored six points. Koch and Raegan Soliday rounded out the scoring with two points each.

Ella Johnson scored 17 points for Kettle Falls.

"This game was bittersweet. I'm sad it's over, but I'm grateful for the experiences I had here," Koch said. "I thought we shared the ball well. We were clicking tonight, but the season is not over, so we need to keep working hard."

Reardan head coach Bob Swannack was pleased with his team's effort as they prepare for postseason play.

"I thought we played really well," he said. "We are getting better and are playing our best ball at the right time. The two Waters sisters are carrying us right now, but Mackenzie Bjornberg is also battling. I'm proud of all of them."

The win gave Reardan a final regular season record of 15-5 overall and 13-2 in league play. Kettle Falls dropped to 9-11 and 5-10.

The Screaming Eagles finished the regular season with four wins in a week. Prior to defeating Kettle Falls, Reardan topped Chewelah 64-34 last Friday, Northwest Christian 50-26 last Saturday and Liberty 53-42 Monday, Jan. 29.

Reardan earned the first seed in the North Division and finished second to Colfax in the Northeast 2B league overall. The Screaming Eagles open District 7 2B Tournament play against the winner of Asotin and St. George's at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 at West Valley High School.