Nighthawks girls fly high at home against Wildcats

OAKESDALE - In the last game before Christmas and the new year, the Oakesdale Nighthawks were dominant against Whitman County rival Colton.

The Nighthawks jumped on the Wildcats early, and never let off the gas, earning the 60-34 victory.

The Nighthawks started the first quarter with a quick 9-0 lead. Payton Davis had seven of the nine points, with two offensive rebounds to help put the game away early.

After a Wildcat timeout, the Nighthawks allowed five quick points from Colton. Kyndra Stout would score four points in the first quarter for Colton. The quarter would end with the Nighthawks ahead 19-9.

The second quarter saw Oakesdale grab key steals throughout the quarter to stretch their lead to 20 quickly. Grace Perry would score eight points in the second quarter alone for the Nighthawks.

Colton would have two turnovers in two straight possessions off of inbounds passes.

The Wildcats would cut the lead down from the 20-point deficit it was early in the quarter, but trailed 39-17 at halftime.

The Nighthawks stretched their lead to 21 in the third quarter before taking a 48-25 lead heading into the final period.

Colton would start the fourth quarter slow, calling a timeout while trailing 58-31. The game would end with Oakesdale securing the 26-point victory.

Davis led the way for the Nighthawks with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Oakesdale had three players in double-digit scoring in the game. Eight grader Megan Crider had 10 points off the bench along with three assists and two rebounds.

Perry finished with 10 points in the game as well, with eight of them coming in the second quarter. She also had five rebounds, five assists, and six steals.

For the Wildcats, their high-scorer was Rori Weber. She had 10 points on 3/7 shooting. Stout finished with nine points and seven rebounds.

Oakesdale had control of the game due to the massive turnover margin in the game. Oakesdale turned the ball over just 13 times, while forcing 30 turnovers from the Wildcats in the game.

One positive takeaway in the game for the Wildcats was their free-throw game. As a team, Colton went 7/8 from the line, while the Nighthawks were 0/3.

For Oakesdale, their next conference game will be Saturday, Jan. 6, when they take on the Dayton Bulldogs. The game will be played in Dayton, with the girls set to tip-off at 4 p.m.

The Wildcats are competing in a Christmas tournament hosted in Colton on Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 27-29.

After the tournament, Colton will take on the Tekoa-Rosalia Timberwolves. The game will be on Wednesday, Jan. 3, taking place in Rosalia, and starting at 6 p.m.