Down two starters early, it took the visiting Wildcats until the third quarter to get warmed up. But the Chinooks finished strong to earn the Class 1A Trico League win.
For La Center (7-6, 3-3), Jackson Leslie did not start because of a stiff knee and Jake Wise left early with an ankle sprain.
The Wildcats trailed 15-9 at halftime but rattled off 22 points in the third quarter to lead by four points.
“In the third quarter we started pushing the ball. All of a sudden we were energized and we were moving,” La Center coach Jeremy Ecklund said.
Kalama (7-6, 5-1) responded by scoring two quick baskets early in the fourth quarter to regain control.
Dalton Morgan led La Center with 16 points and Sawyer Bierscheid added 10 points. Matt Baher, playing extended minutes in place of Wise, finished with eight rebounds and three steals.
Hunter Esary scored eight of his game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter to rally Kalama. Blake Stemkoski added eigtht of his 10 points in the fourth quarter.
KALAMA 45, LA CENTER 40
LA CENTER — Avery Seter 0, Sawyer Bierscheid 10, Jake Morris 0, Matt Baher 2, Jake Wise 0, Brody Seter 9, Jon Eastman 0, Dalton Morgan 16, Austin Paradis 1, Jack Hiller 2. Totals 16 (3) 5-11 40.
KALAMA — Blake Stemkoski 10, Isaac Truesdell 7, Jonas VanSkike 0, Jared Caldwell 0, Daniel Gerega 0, Austin Dines 3, Spencer Stone 2, Cameron Walker 5, Victor Leatzow 0, Hunter Esary 18, Casey Sweet 0. Totals 17 (2) 9-14 45.
La Center 3 6 22 9–40
Kalama 11 4 12 18–45
