Nannies dismantle Crusaders, 67-51

PATEROS – Playing one of their best game of the season, second only to its win over Moses Lake Christian on Jan. 23, the Nannies varsity basketball team laid siege to the visiting Lady Crusaders of Riverside Christian last Friday, Feb. 7, winning 67-51 to rise to second place in the Central Washington 1B league.
Behind the scoring of junior guard Aleeka Miller-Smith who scorched the net with six three-pointers as part of her game-high 28 points, the Nannies combined a controlled team offense with a smothering defense that never allowed the taller, senior-heavy Lady Crusaders to capture the game momentum and turn their Pateros opponents.
The Nannies set the game pace early with 24 first-quarter points with the help of five combined three-point buckets by Miller-Smith and teammate guard Tia Asmussen. In response Riverside fell short scoring 13 and were unable to catch Pateros or even significantly close that 11-point deficit.
“All the girls turned it up last night but what made the night even more exciting and meaningful is junior guard Miller-Smith hit her 1,000-point mark in her career,” said head coach Jared Henton. “She is the heartbeat of our team and everyone feeds off her leadership.”
One thousand points in a four-year basketball career is a significant milestone for any high school player. To reach that benchmark with more than another full season left to play all the more remarkable.
Miller-Smith repeatedly broke Riverside attempts to double-team her as she brought the ball up the court. When the Crusader defense paid too much attention to her she frequently found the open teammate, often near the basket, with an assist for an easy score.
Five-foot freshman Tea Asmussen played like a giant scoring 14 points from both long range and in a crowd where foul-inducing drives allowed her to go to the free-throw line several times.
Freshman Laini Gallegos played heads-up defense blocking several shots and pulling in rebounds in addition to scoring eight points.
Junior Jillian Piechalski was aggressive under the offensive basket drawing fouls and finding the open spots for the assists that she converted into several buckets.
Vanessa Ceniceros shot 50 percent from the floor and foul stripe for three points.
Jennifer Flores and Alley Piechalski only took one shot apiece from the floor, but both to good effect for three and two points respectively.
“After a slow start our girls are playing great ball and are 10-2 after 0-6 start,” Henton said.
Pateros beat previously undefeated Moses Lake Christian, 54-41, at home Jan. 23, and came a game closer to the 9-1 league-leading Lady Lions with the win over Riverside last Friday. The previous day the Nannies defeated Cascade Christian Academy, 45-16,at home.
The Nannies lost to RCA on the road, 34-28, on Jan. 31.
During halftime the varsity cheer squad led some two dozen young members of the Squad Goals Pateros Cheer Camp in a choreographed routine.
Pateros: 24-14-18-11  67
Riverside Christian: 13-13-13-12  51
Nannies scoring
Aleeka Miller-Smith: 28
Tea Asmussen: 14
Jillian Piechalski: 9
Laini Gallegos: 8
Jennifer Flores: 3
Vanessa Ceniceros: 3
Alley Piechalski: 2
Billygoats bumped
The Billygoats varsity boys basketball team suffered only its second league loss of the season and the second to RCA, 77-46 last Friday. The Billygoats were riding a two-game win streak since losing on the road to the Crusaders, 65-57 on Jan. 31. Pateros beat Entiat, 71-54 on Feb. 4, and Cascade Christian, 74-47 on Feb. 6.
The Billygoats are 13-6 overall and 7-2 in league for second place in the CW1B.
Pateros was scheduled to host Wilson Creek at its last home game of the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 11.