Chiawana stays hot against Pasco, key matchup looms
When a high school basketball team’s usual leading scorers combine for 11 points in a game, that can often spell disaster.
But the Chiawana Riverhawks boys squad showed on Saturday it’s got a plethora of guys who can light up the scoreboard.
On a night when Matthew Kroner and Taylor Kroll made an impact in a few different ways, but registered just three and eight points, respectively, the Riverhawks still had plenty of firepower to cap a basketball and wrestling tripleheader with a 67-56 MCC win on the road against city rival Pasco, clinching a regular season sweep.
“We’ve got some guards coming off the bench and doing some good things right now, and some posts,” Chiawana coach Chad Herron said. “Everyone is coming in and filling their role like we like. They know what we expect, and we’re playing our best ball right now.”
Austin Penny matched his career best with 20 points for Chiawana (7-9, 6-4), while sophomore Seth Schmidt pitched in 15 off the bench and Simon Lopez scored a dozen to go along with his game-high four assists and three steals.
In his final career game in the Pasco High gymnasium, Penny, a senior, said he was fired up from the opening tip.
Austin Penny. Step back, jump shot, eat some Frosted Flakes. He’s got 11, Chiawana leads 24-10 pic.twitter.com/M7LAHdsRNP
— Dustin Brennan (@Tweet_By_Dustin) January 21, 2018
“My family grew up all around Pasco, my parents are alumni, so I had to come out here and be on,” Penny said. “We have to beat Pasco.”
Despite never leading or tying the score, Pasco (2-14, 1-9) used a barrage from the 3-point line to stay within an arm’s reach, knocking down 9 of 24 treys on the night. Kashon Tate splashed four from range on his five attempts to tie Diego Gutierrez for the team-high point total of 16.
“Pasco, their strong suit is their guards, they have some good shooters, and we wanted to take that away,” Herron said. “That was the gameplan, I thought our kids did pretty well.”
Trailing 30-19 at half, the Bulldogs started to make it interesting in the third quarter. Gutierrez and Tate each sank a triple on a 14-4 run to pull within 39-33, but Chiawana scored 16 of the game’s next 22 points to extend its lead again, making for a smooth finish.
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A winner of five of its past six, Chiawana moved into a tie with Walla Walla (10-6, 6-4) for the MCC’s second 4A seed. That sets up a key matchup Friday when the Riverhawks play host to Kamiakin (12-4, 9-1), who pulled away late to win the last meeting between the teams, 54-40.
“They played really well in that fourth quarter and we kind of disappeared, we played well for three,” Herron said of the Dec. 21 loss at Kamiakin. “We weren’t able to finish out. But we’re better now, they’re better now. It should be a heck of a game next Friday.”
Added Penny: “That’s a big win right there. We need to get that win.”
Pasco hosts Southridge on Friday with four games remaining in the regular season.
CHIAWANA: Cantu, Austin Penny 20, Simon Lopez 12, Andelin 1, Henry, Kroll 8, Wallwork, Kroner 3, Seth Schmidt 15, Harris 4, Phillips 1, DeWitt 3. Totals: 23-50 14-26 67.
PASCO: Millet 2, Diego Gutierrez 16, Tobon, Purdue, Emilio Davila 11, Gonzalez, Ortiz, Moises Cuevas 11, N.Gutierrez, Kason Tate 16. Totals: 18-45 11-20 56.
Chiawana | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | — | 67 |
Pasco | 10 | 9 | 18 | 19 | — | 56 |
Highlights — C, Penny 3 ast; Lopez 4 ast, 3 stl; Matthew Kroner 3 blk. P, D.Gutierrez 8x10 FT; Noah Gonzalez 3 stl; Cuevas 3x6 3pt; Tate 4x5 3pt
Dustin Brennan: 509-582-1413, @Tweet_By_Dustin
This story was originally published January 20, 2018 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Chiawana stays hot against Pasco, key matchup looms."