The Mountain View girls basketball team is off and running, and it feels pretty good.
Nina Peterson hits five 3-pointers — three during a pivotal second quarter — and scored 24 points to lead the Thunder to a 50-42 over Kelso in a 3A Greater St. Helens League game on Monday.
The win improved the Thunder to 6-1 overall, 3-0 in the 3A GSHL.
“It feels great, compared to last year when we went 0-8 (in league),” Peterson said.
Peterson credits the Thunder’s intensity as pivotal to their improvement from a 7-12 season last year.
“We have a lot more athleticism this year,” she said. “So that’s like a big difference from last year. We all cohesively work together a lot better. There’s just been a better dynamic on the team, which is great.”
That dynamic was on display Monday as the Thunder worked create open shots. Peterson buried three 3-pointers in the second quarter as Mountain View opened up a 32-22 halftime lead.
The Thunder would push the lead to 14 in the third quarter, which helped keep Kelso at bay down the stretch.
“The confidence is definitely there,” coach Dan Larson said. “I said to them last year ‘you’ll be good when you believe you’re going to be good.’ This year, we believe we’re good. And we’re playing like it, which translate into a lot of those wins.”
The addition of juniors Jadlyn Senderson and Layla Senderson from Union, in addition to freshman Mylee Thompson, helped feed into that belief. Layla Senderson added 10 points on Monday.
“I’d say there was switch in our heads,” Peterson said. “Like ‘we want to do this. We want to win. We want to make the playoffs. It was just a mind-switch.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW 50, KELSO 42
KELSO — Kenzie Milligan 2, Peyton Champagne 0, Karsyn Hall 11, Eleanor Treadway 6, Mallory Scruggs 0, Bregan Ruhland 12, Hayden Johnson 2, Aubree Freeman 5. Totals 17 (4) 4-5 42.
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Mylee Thompson 4, Jadlyn 2, Layla Senderson 10, Josie Kuffner 0, Nina Peterson 24, Sophia Wright 3, Camaria Brown 5, Kendal Skimore 2. Totals 15 (7) 13-17 50.
