Mules outlast Winlock, fall to Adna

The Wahkiakum Mule boys basketball team split two Central League basketball games this week.

The Mules got off to a slow start December 15 at Winlock, trailing 11-6 after one, but bounced back in the second quarter to take a two point lead into the half and finished off the Cardinals with a 19 point fourth quarter.

The 47-36 victory put the Mules at 3-2 for the season and snapped the team’s two game losing streak.

Wyatt Parker led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points while Brett Chaput and Lars Blix chipped in with 10 apiece. Joel Nicolazzi added eight, and Ryan Helms and Brandon Fudge each contributed with four apiece.

Chaput and Nicolazzi each ripped down seven boards with Parker pulling in five and Blix four. Nicolazzi also handed out four assists with Fudge and Zach Pierce each handing out three. As a team, the Mules shot 72 percent from the free throw line, hitting 13 of 18 shots, a vast improvement from the past two games in which they failed to surpass the 50 percent mark from the charity stripe.

Friday night’s match-up with Adna proved to be a tough one as the Mules got pounded on the glass on the way to a 63-38 loss to the Pirates.

In a game that marked the return of the Mules’ leading three-point-threat, the team managed to attempt only 38 shots from the field compared to the 60 taken by Adna. John Chambers led the team with 12 points, with Chaput adding nine, Nicolazzi six, Parker five, Fudge three, Pierce two, and Helms one. Parker pulled in five rebounds while Fudge, Chaput, and Wieler grabbed two apiece.

The Mules’ junior varsity squad found some success on the road this past week as they recorded wins over both the Cardinals, 46-41, and the Pirates, 42-37.

Against the Cardinals, Eli McElroy paved the way with 11 points, followed by Steven Doumit with nine, Travis Wegdahl with seven, Mike McKinley six, Nicolas Kirschke four, Seth Doumit three, and Austin Good, Mitchel Dault and Collan Riley with two apiece.

Tylor Russell led Friday's scoring with nine, with Steven Doumit, Wegdahl and Good adding seven apiece, McElroy and Shane Souvenir five each, and Seth Doumit two.

The Mules visited Naselle last night (Wednesday)in a rematch of the KM rivalry before returning home on the 30th to face the Kalama Chinooks.