Who's where in the standings with Wahkiakum basketball

The regular season is coming to an end for the Wahkiakum High School's basketball teams, so it's time to take a look at where the teams stand ahead of the upcoming district tournaments that will decide which teams go to state.

Before we dive in, it's important to note that the results of both the boys and girls Feb. 4 games against Columbia Valley opponents Pe Ell are not known at the time of press. All information is accurate as of Feb. 3. And now, to the basketball.

Boys Basketball

For the boys, it's been tough going over the past three games. The Mules are amid a three-game losing streak, losing each game by no more than five points. The last victory the Mules scored was a 68-53 conference win against Oakville on Jan. 23 that marked the fifth win of a five-game win streak.

Since then, the Mules have been on the wrong side of some heartbreakers. Wahkiakum narrowly lost to Toledo High School 60-56 in a non-league game on Jan. 27. Next came a conference loss to Columbia Adventist Academy 64-68 on Jan. 30.

Despite the tough result, it showed substantial improvement against the league-leading Kodiaks. The previous matchup on Jan.7 between the two saw Wahkiakum lose 56-41.

Columbia Adventist Academy boasts a 9-0 district record and is the highest-scoring team in the 1B Columbia Valley conference. Conversely, the Mules are 5-2 in the league and, despite being third in the district, are the second-highest-scoring team.

The final loss of the streak came against Willapa Valley, who themselves are on a 6-0 district record and an overall record of 16-2. While losing is never fun, each loss was a hard-fought game against top competition.

Zooming out, Wahkiakum is ranked #23 in WIAA's RPI rankings. With a record of 10-9 overall, the Mules are in the top third of teams in the 1B division, of which there are 81.

The Mules will hope to make waves at the district tournament to keep the potential of a state berth alive.

Girls Basketball

The girls have only played one game since last week's update, as the match scheduled for Jan. 28 against the Washington School for the Deaf was canceled.

That one game was a home win against Columbia Adventist Academy on Jan. 30. The Mules played stifling defense throughout the game and kept the Kodiaks away from the basket en route to a 56-31 win.

One of the keys to the emphatic Wahkiakum victory was a barrage of three-pointers in the second half. The Mules were ripping the net to the tune of eight three-pointers in the second half, making it tough for Columbia Adventist to keep up.

The win meant that the Mules league record improved to 7-1, and they only trail Pe Ell, who are 8-0 and atop the Columbia Valley conference. Despite the win, Wahkiakum fell one spot in WIAA's RPI rankings. With a 9-6 overall record, the Mules are ranked #34 of the 70 teams in WIAA's 1B rankings.

Following the Feb. 4 matchup with Pe Ell, Wahkiakum will prepare for the postseason district tournament, which begins on Feb. 13.