CV avenges regional defeat to Richland

TACOMA – Two weeks ago, the Richland Bombers handled the visiting Central Valley Bears in the regional championship game.

The Bears had vengeance on their mind Friday in a State 4A tournament boys basketball elimination game at the Tacoma Dome.

Central Valley got paybacks and much more as the Bears pulverized the Bombers 63-37.

The Bears (23-3) take on Newport (19-9) this morning at 8 to decide fourth and sixth places.

Foul trouble two weeks ago took CV out of its comfort zone, and the Bears never recovered. This time, the Bombers never got untracked.

CV used an 18-7 surge to close out the first half with a 35-19 lead.

Then the Bears’ extinguished the Bombers with defense in the third quarter, holding them to two points.

CV made a defensive switch from the regional game. Bears coach Rick Sloan assigned 6-foot-2 junior Austin Daines to guard Richland’s 6-7 junior Nathan Streufert.

Daines limited Streufert, who averages 16.6 points, to six points on 2-of-14 shooting.

“That was the switch we made,” Sloan said. “We thought Nathan is most effective when he’s on the perimeter and attacking and shooting. He’s a tough matchup. Austin did a great job defending him. That was a big difference in the game.”

So was CV’s start to the third quarter when junior Beau Byus scored three baskets and junior Adam Chamberlain hit a 3-pointer to fuel a 9-0 start.

Richland never recovered.

Byus had to fight through foul trouble, but he managed to score a game-high 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting. Austin Rehkow and AJ Knudsen had 12 apiece and Chamberlain chipped in 10.