To the Hudson’s Bay girls basketball team, Tuesday night proved what a difference a year can make.
With largely the same team — save for one key addition — the Eagles built an early lead and never relented in a 62-41 win to hand Woodland its first loss of the season.
Tuesday’s non-league matchup, Bay’s last before it begins 3A Greater St. Helens League play, stood in stark contrast to when it played Woodland a year ago — a Beaver team that comprised of much of the same roster as it did in a 42-point season-opening dispensing of the Eagles.
The Eagles say that’s, at least in part, thanks to their freshman point guard Aniyah Hampton.
“She didn’t play in that game last year, so I definitely think she helped out,” sophomore Kamelai Powell said.
Again, Woodland presented its full-court press, a look that coach Glen Flanagan instituted to throw the opponent out of its intended tempo and force turnovers.
But this time, Hampton served as a press-breaker.
“That extra person that can handle the ball against a team that can press makes all the difference in the world,” Bay coach Michael Rainville said. “She can see the court, dribble left and right, change speeds, create her own shot. She’s a true point guard.”
Hampton finished with 14 points, as did Powell, and sophomore Jaydia Martin added 12. With Hampton running the show, Bay took a 24-9 lead after the first quarter, in which seven Eagles scored.
That momentum carried into the second quarter and Bay took a 22-point lead into half.
Martin missed practice Monday and Tuesday with an illness, but aimed to play at least some of Wednesday’s game. During warmups, she felt good enough to play, so she subbed in midway through the first quarter and made an immediate impact.
On one of her first possessions in the game, she sliced into the lane, drawing multiple defenders, and routed a look-away pass to a cutting Hampton for a layup.
“She came in and gave us a lift,” Rainville said.
Woodland cleaned up the areas that Flanagan said sunk them in the first half, but the Eagles’ held firm on its lead.
“We were lazy, it was bad basketball,” Flanagan said. “It was good because we found out a little bit about ourselves but in the second half we won the hustle balls. I’m not sure, we were pretty even the second half but it was just a pathetic first half performance by us.”
Payten Foster and Nicole Guthrie, both all-league selections last season, paced the Beavers with eight points apiece. The game, Flanagan said, presented his team with much-needed teaching moments before 2A Greater St. Helens League play starts.
For Bay, it proved to them what they are capable of.
Playing sick was worth it, Martin said. The Eagles felt like it was their best game of the season. For Martin, she went as far as to say their best game of the last two seasons.
“It’s fun when everybody’s working together as a team, we’re moving the ball, seeing everybody and working on defense together. These are the best games,” Hampton said.
Added Powell: “These are the games that fuel your love for the game.”
HUDSON’S BAY 62, WOODLAND 41
WOODLAND (4-1) — Emersyn Finn 5, Audrey Adams 1, Madison Hill 0, Kaija Olson 4, Payten Foster 8, Carleigh Risby 0, Kaily Christensen 5, Kelly Sweyer 0, Gelina Wakefield 5, Kennedy Huesties 0, Nicole Guthrie 8. 15 (9) 10-16 41.
HUDSON’S BAY (6-1) — Gabriella Garcia 0, Juliann Medrano 0, Shelby Delong 3, Sadie Soumokil 0, Maria Mendez 2, Jaydia Martin 12, Mae Carse 4, Xena Le 4, Aniyah Hampton 14, Kamelai Powell 14, Stacia Mikaele 4. 25 (2) 6-9 62.
Woodland 9 9 14 9—41
Hudson’s Bay 24 16 10 12—62
