Avalanche win Tulalip hoops tournament
MOUNT VERNON — The Olympic Avalanche went 4-0 to win the girls sixth-grade division at the 23rd annual Tulalip Basketball Tournament over the weekend.
Head coach Joe Marvelle said the tournament win was the “biggest” in the history of the Avalanche program.
“I was told by the tournament director that this is the first time in the 23-year history of the Tulip tournament that a Port Angeles-based team, boys or girls, has won the championship of any grade division,” Marvelle said.
The Avalanche, made up of players from Port Angeles and Sequim, finished off the tournament with a 45-41 win over Hoopstar of Bellingham.
Emilia Long and Madison Cooke each scored 11 points in the championship game, while Jaida Wood added nine points and six rebounds.
In the semifinals, Olympic earned revenge for losses last year by defeating Bellingham Basketball Academy 42-25 behind 17 points from Cooke.
The Avalanche began the tournament with a 59-11 win over Anacortes, which was followed by a 44-21 victory against Triple Threat of Snohomish in the second round.
“Emilia Long was finally fully healthy for us and ran the point guard position as well as you could possibly ask a 12-year-old to do. She made great decisions making all weekend,” Marvelle said.
“Madison Cooke led us in scoring this weekend again and is really coming on strong. She can score, rebound and distribute the ball as well as any kid I’ve seen this year.
“Jaida Wood, Kalli Wiker and Myra Walker were dominant on the boards all weekend. We are almost always outsized, but they have great technique and aggressiveness and always seem to get the job done.”
The championship is the Avalanche’s 10th since they began playing as fifth-graders.
“Extremely proud of these girls and how hard they’ve worked for two years to get to this place,” Marvelle said.
“I’m truly blown away at how they’ve come together as a team.”
Swain’s tops Laurel
PORT ANGELES — Swain’s beat Laurel Lanes side 11-1 in 12U Cal Ripken baseball action in five innings behind the pitching of Chase Cobb, Matt Mangano and Kamron Noard.
Cobb went three innings in Monday’s game and Mangano and Noard threw one apiece.
The trio held Laurel Lanes to one hit, a bunt single by Maddox Pangaro, while striking out seven and walking three.
The Swain’s pitching staff was backed by a defense that committed no errors.
Swain’s did most of its damage in the first inning, in which it put up five runs.
Swain’s collected nine hits: two each by Noard, Managno, Robby Fors and Logan Williams, and one by Parker Nickerson.
Hi-Tech tunes in
PORT ANGELES — Hi-Tech Electronics came out with a 14-4 win over Local 155 in a 12U Cal Ripken baseball game Tuesday.
Hi-Tech’s John Vaara recorded four RBIs and scored three runs.
Local 155’s James Burkhardt reached base on all three at-bats and scored a run.
