Bomber Time - By Chris Daniels
Basketball season is officially back for the first game of the 23-24 season. In a Friday night showdown, the Lady Bombers will face off against the Mt. Spokane Wildcats. Last Year, the Bombers went 13-6, finishing second in the Mid-Columbia Conference. The Wildcats went 12-11 for Mt. Spokane, finishing 4th in the GSL. The Bombers lost a few star players, but our current seniors are ready to pick up right where they left off. I got to catch up with senior point guard Macie Milum and ask her about the season. “We are looking good,” said Milum. “There are a lot of new girls on the team, and they are adjusting to their roles. We have also been focusing on our strong points while learning and adapting to what we need to improve.” With only 4 seniors, the rising sophomore Kylee Kukes has big shoes to fill this year. Kukes says, ‘ I am really looking forward to this season and playing with this group of girls. I want to have fun, and we are going to win. My role is to lead the team on the defensive end, but I will also help create opportunities on the offensive side.”
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_) |
Leading straight into the game, the 6’4 forward Patience Grey wins the tip for the Wildcats. The Bombers and the Wildcats go at it all game long. The Wildcats start the game with a 2-2-1 press, keeping the Bombers away from the rim. Senior forward Abby Priddy opens up the game with a quick jumper. Grey gets an easy pick-and-roll layup soon after, leading the Wildcats to an early lead. The Bombers used a timeout right away to stop the run. Out of the timeout number ten, Jocelyn Wagenblast goes on a tear, getting an easy layup, and then comes back down and hits a three. The Bombers are down 9-0 and need a bucket. With four minutes left in the first quarter, Milum drives in the key for the Bombers and draws a foul on Grey. Milum steps to the line and knocks down both free throws, scoring the first points of the season. The Bombers get back into motion, and Jr. forward Mackenzie Schulz gets a steal to an easy layup for the Bombers. To end the first quarter, Mt. Spokane leads 16-13, leaving the Bombers chasing.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_) |
The Wildcats get an early three from senior Gardner at the commencement of the following quarter. Senior forward Maya Rowe is holding it down in the key for the Bombers. She then draws a foul and makes both free throws. The Wildcats push up the Bombers and force a tough pull-up three, and Rowe is there for the rebound. Schulz again takes it coast to coast, finishing a floater over S. Gardner. The Wildcats take the ball out, and for the Bombers, Milum gets a steal to a layup. The Bombers are still down 21-9 with 3 minutes leading into halftime. Soon after, Schulz and Rowe get 2 quick buckets. Milum again steps up for the Bombers, knocks down a deep three, and gets fouled. Milum makes the free throw, which completes the four-point play. The Wildcats and the Bombers get another bucket, leading into halftime with the score of 28-26. The Goldrush dance team took the stage and gave the fans a great two-minute performance. The band and the cheerleaders keep the energy up all game long. I got to talk to Senior cheerleader Chole Scontrino about how the season looks. “I am very excited for the season, and the team has been perfecting all the cheers. With the band doing their thing, the atmosphere is busy and energetic. Our team and student section are enthusiastic, making it much better.”
Kicking it back into action, the Bombers get the ball starting the second half. With a slow start for both teams, the Wildcats scored first from a layup by S Gardner. Later in the quarter, Milum gets on a hot streak and knocks down back-to-back triples, one assisted by Kukes and the other by Chang. The Wildcats play slightly timid after the Bombers go on an eight-point run. For the Wildcats, the freshman guard Laine Gardner gets a layup assisted by Priddy. Leading into the fourth quarter, the Bombers are up 38-34. The Bombers go right at the Wildcats early in the quarter, with Kukes getting a steal leading to an and-one layup. Kukes makes the free throw, but the Wildcats are there to fight back. L. Gardner gets a shooting foul, missing both, but Priddy is there for the rebound and also gets fouled. Priddy goes to the line, making both. The Wildcats get multiple stops, and Grey gets an easy bucket.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_) |
The Bombers push the ball up the court, and Milum finds senior guard Jazmyn Soldat for a deep jumper. Schulz gets a steal back down the court and throws the ball ahead to Kukes for the wide-open lay-up. Chang, Kukes, and Soldot all played solid defense, forcing the Wildcats to a shot clock violation. Head Coach Jim Redmon, for the Wildcats, did not like that call and argued with the referees, gaining himself a technical foul. Milum steps to the line, making both. The score is now 47-38 Richland. The Wildcats are all over the place. Kukes gets a steal and is fouled by S. Gardner for the 5th foul of the quarter, putting the Bombers in the bonus. Kukes steps to the line, missing both, but draws a turnover. Chang has the ball at the top of the key and finds Schulz for a turnaround floater over Grey. The Wildcats are really falling behind. The Bombers force another bad shot, and Kukes is there for the rebound. Kukes finds Milum for the easy wide-open layup, putting the Bombers up 51-38 with 3:40 left. The Wildcats need a bucket, but Kukes, again for the Bombers, draws an offensive foul. Milum took the ball coast to coast but could not finish. Schulz is there for the rebound and scores again over Grey. The Wildcats assembled multiple shots, but the Bombers continued. Richland Wins 58-45 over Mt. Spokane for the first win of the season.
Milum led the game with 18 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist. Schulz also had a big game for the Bombers, scoring 16 points with 6 rebounds and one assist. The Bombers shot 32% from the field and 23% from three. The Bombers are 1-0 and are now set to play Pasco on December 5th to begin the regular season.
