Background
The Bobcats of Nestucca entered last night's game against Knappa with a 3-1 league record and looking to topple the #3-ranked Loggers and put themselves into the conversation for 1st-place. Knappa was looking to shake off some rust after an 8-day hiatus from games and score their ninth straight win. The Knappa lineup welcomed back Nicolai Ogier who returned from an injury sustained during the football season.
Summary
The first few minutes of the game was an exciting back and forth affair. Knappa jumped out to an 8-1 lead, only to have Nestucca sink two 3-pointers and bring the game back 8-7. But then the press of Knappa forced turnovers and Knappa went on a 13-3 run to finish the quarter. Knappa subbed much of their second team into the game, playing 11 players in the first half. It appeared as if this was going to be a blowout from the beginning, but Nestucca fought back. Knappa went cold on the offensive end and Nestucca was able to fight and win the second quarter 7-6. By halftime the game was 27-17. After halftime, the game came into question again when Nestucca opened with a strong start bringing the score to within two possessions. Knappa called a timeout and then proceeded to have exactly zero issues the rest of the game. They swarmed and harassed the ball carriers for Nestucca and shared the ball on offense. The rest of the game was a 35-5 run by the Loggers. Knappa's press and 3-2 zone shut down the Bobcats' offense while point guard Shane McMahan picked apart the Nestucca defense to create numerous opportunities for his teammates. Although he only recorded 5 assists, McMahan easily could have had many more if a few more shots had fallen for Knappa. The biggest difference came in the rebounding category. Knappa out-rebounded Nestucca 48-28.
Takeaways
Knappa is proving to be a matchup nightmare. With length, athleticism, and an aggressive mentality, they give their opponents very little chance to get comfortable. While still prone to droughts, they have shown all year that their opponents will also go through long scoring droughts of their own. One of the hardest things to deal with Knappa is the fact that there has not been "the guy". There is no one player that needs to be stopped since there are several players capable of scoring depending on the night. Pair this with a team that creates lots of assists and it becomes extremely challenging to defend them. That all being said, the top teams in state are not likely to turn the ball over as much and are also less likely to give up 21-point runs. Knappa still has a whole league schedule to play and a lot can happen. They have yet to play 9-2 Mannahouse, but they remain the league favorites. Their next game is Monday (January 17th) at Neah-Kah-Nie.
Nestucca is a team that should win a lot of games this year. They have several players capable of hitting outside shots when left open and have good speed. Their matchup against Faith Bible on Friday should be a good matchup. A win would put Nestucca in good position going forward in league play. This team has potential to fight for one of the two automatic playoff berths for the Northwest League. They are a senior-heavy team which should give them the experience needed to negotiate the tough environment provided in league play.
Post Script
If you saw someone that deserves a shoutout for their play, please put it in the comments so others can appreciate the good work being done by these players. Additionally, if there are any pictures that you took of the game you feel comfortable sharing, please share them to my email, lincoln.james.miller@gmail.com, and I will give full picture credit.
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