Heading into last week, the Yelm boys and girls basketball programs looked to find their groove as they entered the thick of South Sound Conference play.
The girls picked up their first win of the season on Wednesday, Jan. 11, while the boys added a win to their record to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The ladies were on the road for a matchup against winless River Ridge in a South Sound Conference matchup. One of the two teams was set to walk away from the game with their first victory of the season and Yelm’s offense showed they wanted it more.
The Tornados had their highest scoring game of the season as they secured a 59-49 victory over the River Ridge Hawks (0-8).
In their next matchup of the week, the Tornados returned home on Friday, Jan. 13 to host the Gig Harbor Tides, who are currently the 23rd ranked 3A girls basketball team in Washington, according to RPI.
Gig Harbor’s suffocating defense led to an 81-32 victory in the Tides’ favor. The team is 7-1 in the South Sound Conference and 8-5 overall.
After the boys team fell to Timberline on Monday, Jan. 9, the Tornados responded to their consecutive losses with a victory over River Ridge on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at home.
The team’s offense had their highest scoring outing of the year so far against River Ridge, as the boys scored 71 points in an all-around team effort.
Senior Trevontay Smith scored 22 points, and finished the contest with four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
In their next outing on Friday, Jan. 13, the boys took on the RPI’s third ranked team in Gig Harbor. The Tides currently sit with an overall record of 14-1 and a 7-1 record in the South Sound Conference.
The Tides showed why they’re so highly ranked, with a dominant performance over the Tornados, winning 78-49.
While the Tornados sit with an overall record of 4-8, and 3-5 in the South Sound Conference, their playoff hopes are still very much alive as the South Sound Conference allows the top five teams to compete in districts.
Currently, the Tornados are tied in the SSC standings with Capital. Both teams sport a 3-5 conference record. If Yelm’s conference record ends up being better than Capital’s, the team will be able to move onto the district playoffs.
The boys have just six games remaining during the regular season. Those include key matchups at Capital, at Central Kitsap and at River Ridge.
