Oatis scores 17, Lions roll in Santo’s first win

In one of its most impressive performances in the past decade, the Kennewick High School girls basketball team won its first game under coach Daron Santos on Saturday at the Lions Den, blowing out winless Eisenhower 79-45 in a nonleague game.

“It’s always nice getting that first win,” said Santo, who stepped down as the CBC women’s coach in March and took the Kennewick job this summer. “The girls actually played really hard, so I’m happy that our home opener turned out to be a positive one.”

Santo is Kennewick’s third coach in as many years, and the team seems to be heading in a positive direction under his tutelage.

“He’s brought a lot of energy and a lot of positivity,” senior post Alicia Oatis said. “And he understands that we’ve been through a lot with different coaches, and he’s very relatable. He really brings us to the next level.”

The shot clock was never a factor for the Lions, who played up-tempo and in transition for most of the night. Oatis pushed her way through the heart of the Cadets’ defense to score a game-high 17 points, and sophomore Aislin Fiander and freshman Madeline Gebers each scored 13 points. Three Lions hit two 3-pointers, and the team made eight overall.

“They expect that from me, and I give it to my team,” Oatis said of her domination in the paint. “My team expects a lot out of me, and I do what I’m supposed to do.”

Fiander got the game off to a quick start when she knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing on the opening possession. That keyed an 8-0 run to start the game, which the Lions opened up to a 13-2 lead midway through the first quarter.

Things broke open a few minutes later when Kennewick began turning turnovers into points for a 14-0 run — four each for Fiander and Oatis — that started with a minute to go in the opening period and lasted until the 6-minute mark of the second.

“We like to try turning our defense into offense,” Santo said. “That’s really want we want to do this year.”

Bobbie Rideout and Chrsita Jimenez each scored 12 points to lead Eisenhower. The Cadets — who had just seven varsity players suited up — suffered a blow before the game even tipped off as junior guard/forward Jacqueline Degrasse rolled her ankle in warmups and didn’t play as a result.

That was a bad omen against the Lions, who made the game a track meet and stayed fresh with a deep rotation.

UP NEXT

Eisenhower: Goes on the road to face Moses Lake (3-0) in a Big 9 contest at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. The Chiefs have placed either fourth or fifth in the past four state tournaments.

Kennewick: Hosts Rogers (0-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 8:03 PM with the headline "Oatis scores 17, Lions roll in Santo’s first win."