Both Highline basketball teams took home road wins over Grays Harbor, 71-56 for the women behind a dominant performance from Savannah Arneach and an 89-72 win for the men, snapping their 11-game losing streak. 

The women’s basketball team dominated from start to finish in a 71-56 win over Grays Harbor.

Highline took control out of the gate, winning the tipoff and hitting a three pointer at 9:36. The Lady T-Birds raced to an early 24-15 lead thanks to an all-around contribution from Highline starters.

Highline soared to victory behind a career-high performance from Savannah Arneach who made 32 points on an impressive 15-20 field-goal shooting. The women had a strong performance down low with a 40-18 advantage over Grays Harbor.

In the second, Arneach strung together eight consecutive points for Highline as the Chockers struggled to slim their scoring deficit. Highline scored 12 points to the opponent’s 10 for the quarter.

The Lady T-Birds led by 11 points, 36-25, at the halftime break.

In the third, Highline kept their foot on the gas as they built their largest lead of 23 with 4:22 left. The Lady T-Birds had 8-15 inside shooting with the help of Ella Christian, who got her teammates in scoring position with four assists for the quarter. Grays Harbor nearly matched Highline in 60 percent shooting, but Highline put up more shots to lead, 57-40, by the end of the third.

In the fourth, the Lady T-Birds further cemented their lead with a near perfect 5-6 inside shooting from Arneach and 6-13 in total for Highline. The Chokers made a notable defensive effort with 11 rebounds to Highline’s 8, but struggled to sink shots with 6-17 inside shooting.

The 71-56 victory over Grays Harbor brought three season highs for Highline in assists with 19, in rebounds with 30, and in game points with 71.

Savannah Arneach had the hot hand for the night with 32 points on 15-12 field goal shooting. Hi’ilani Arai added 13 points and Mahine Bergeson chipped in 12. Freshman Ella Christian frequently set her teammates up for open layups with eight assists.

The win moved Highline up to No. 5 in the NWAC West with a conference record of 2-4. 

For the men’s team, Highline soared to victory behind sophomore leadership from Ricky Bell who recorded a career-high 24 points on 76.1 percent shooting. The T-Birds held the rebound advantage with 38 to the Chockers 15.

Prior to the match, both teams were 0-6 in conference play and looking to clinch their first divisional win. The game was intense, holding six ties and nine lead changes throughout. 

Highline was efficient on offense as they hit 59-of-108 shots and 63.6 percent shooting, their best shooting night in NWAC West play. The T-Birds also documented a season-best 20-25 behind the freethrow line.

The Chockers opened up the game with a three-pointer from Kobe Rudolph. But the lead see-sawed throughout the first half until a 9-2 run from the Chockers put them ahead seven with 11:39 left. The T-Birds played steady catchup by converting opponent turnovers to build a 13-2 scoring run by 5:57, stealing the lead for a third time. Highline’s rebounding advantage of 25-7 kept the ball in their hands and allowed them to out score the Chokers for the half. 

The Thunderbirds were up by six points, 42-36, at the halftime break. 

Highline continued to lead in the second but the Chockers kept close. A string of missed shots from the T-Birds against layups by Grays Harbor let the Chokers get within four points with 16:55 left. A layup from Rayven Turner flipped the switch for Highline as they went on a 16-2 run, swishing nine of their 12 shots within five minutes. Highline eventually led by as many as 20 points before taking home their first conference win, 89-72.

Leading the way offensively was a career-high performance by Ricky Bell, who scored 24 points on 8-14 shooting from the field and 5-9 shooting from behind the arc. Freshman Rayven Turner recorded his fifth career double-double with 18 points on 6-11 inside shooting and snagged the most rebounds for the night with 14. Freshman Nic Hogan also set a career high in free throws with 7-8 among his 17 points. 

Despite the 3 hour round trip to Grays Harbor, Highline played with a lot of energy on one of their toughest road trips in the league, said Head Coach Che Dawson.

“We did a nice job of getting the ball inside and converting from the free throw line. We played hard on the glass and got after loose balls,” said Coach Dawson.

Up next, the eight teams in the men’s league and the seven in the women’s go around again as Highline traveled to Lakewood, WA, to challenge Pierce on Wednesday. Results were unavailable at press time.

The women’s team are looking to knock down the 3-3 Lady Raiders from their No. 4 ranking to claim a postseason spot. The men’s team, 1-7, have an uphill battle ahead as they will need to win at least five matches to have a chance to play beyond the regular season.

“We have to continue to play harder than the last game and the last possession,” said Coach Dawson.

On Saturday, Highline basketball teams will host rival Green River. Both the men’s and women’s teams are currently No. 1 in the NWAC West. The women’s match will begin at 12 p.m. and the men will play at 2 p.m.