The Crashouts, a 3-on-3 basketball team led by Rainier High School seniors Brooklynn Swenson and Janess Blackburn, took third place in the girls high school bracket of the Capital City 3-on-3 basketball tournament during Oregon Trail Days in Tenino last weekend.
The team, which also featured Bregan Ruhland and Kinsey Palmer from Kelso, swept its two games on Saturday before losing both matchups, including against the eventual champion, Yeah Glo, on Sunday.
The Crashouts, donning jerseys with Mickey Mouse dunking a basketball, opened the tournament with a convincing 13-7 victory over West ’28 before coming from behind to defeat Hoop Emojis, 10-8, on Saturday. They fell to Guild, 16-11, Sunday morning and closed the tournament with a 17-8 loss to Yeah Glo in the afternoon.
Swenson, Blackburn and their teammates were coached by Scott Ruhland for the tournament and had to adjust to the rules of 3-on-3 basketball. Games are played on half a court, and the target score is 20 points. If no team reaches 20 points, the game ends at 20 minutes.
“I think 3-on-3 is a difficult game to play. You go out on the pavement and are confined to the small area of the half court,” Blackburn said. “It taught me how to move and create plays in close-game scenarios. These lessons learned will be valuable in close games, especially against good defensive teams.”
Swenson said the team’s chemistry grew stronger over the course of the weekend. She, Blackburn and Bregan Ruhland have played AAU basketball together for the 90Ten Training Academy for two years.
“We were working together to run cuts, little plays and for all of us to get open shots. We all had played together at one time, but this was about having fun, and I think we all grew more of a friendship as well,” Swenson said.
Scott Ruhland complimented the two Mountaineers for their abilities on the court and their teamwork.
“Brooklynn has continued to develop her great court vision and an exceptional ability to go downhill to the basket. She has a really good jumper, and sometimes she’ll be a little hesitant to take it, but she’s a really solid offensive player who makes others better,” he said. “Janess is a fearless post defender and plays much larger than her height. She really anchors both the offense and the defense in the low post and can battle against tremendous contact without getting discouraged.”
Angelica Askey, another RHS senior, was slated to suit up for The Crashouts in the tournament but sat out due to an injury. Swenson said Askey’s ability to score and create her own shots was missed, but her absence caused each of them to expand their efforts.
“Angelica is an overall great player and very impactful in many ways. She knows how to score well, and she shares the ball,” Swenson said.
Tournaments such as the Capital City 3-on-3 often feature a more physical, rugged style of play than a typical high school game, with less officiating on contact. Ruhland said the players embraced that style due to their fearlessness.
“I would say 3-on-3 is excellent for the development of improving ball movement. All 3-on-3 venues help teams develop and learn how to pass out of double teams, and it focuses on pick and rolls and off-ball screens,” he said. “The challenge is that there’s a tendency to let it go much more physical than you would see in any high school game, so you have to be careful to not pick up any bad habits. It’ll make you a lot tougher.”
Blackburn concurred, adding that games are often decided based on how players handle the increased aggressiveness on the court.
“Depending on how you handle it, handsy games can ruin the flow of a player. As long as you maintain the mindset that it’s just a game and keep sportsmanship as a priority, aggressive games don’t have to be a negative thing,” she said.
The 3-on-3 tournament was bittersweet for Swenson and Blackburn as it marked the final such competition of their high school journeys. While Sunday’s games didn’t go as planned, they cherished the moments together before their high school careers come to a close next winter.
“We entered the tournament a little nervous due to some injuries on the team, but I think Saturday proved that we were ready to go and compete,” Blackburn said. “The main goal going out there was to have fun and embrace our last 3-on-3 tournament as seniors, and I think we did just that.”
