Comets boys beat second place NWC for second league win in a row

Courtesy of Chinook Observer
NASELLE - Kyle Burkhalter did everything as he led the Naselle Comets to their second successive Pacific League with a 58-53 win over the Pacific League's second place team, the Northwest Christian Navigators, Saturday, Jan. 20, in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym. The Comets league record climbed to 4-5 and 6-9 overall. The Navigators league record dropped to 7-2, behind Willapa Valley in the standings.Kyle scored 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the floor and grabbed nine rebounds as the Comets out-boarded Northwest Christian 37-24, and held the Navigators top scorer Matt Myers to only seven points.It was a team win in all aspects of the game, as Gabe See came off the bench to score 10 points and grab eight rebounds, six off the offensive board. Austin Burkhalter had 11 points while Conor Smith added nine. Both of these players were right in the middle of the rebound superiority which the Comets demonstrated. While Spencer Griss and Nick Hines did not score, they too were instrumental in the win. Senior Casey Heagy, who has been a vital part of the Naselle attack, was not able to suit up due to a leg injury suffered during practice.Naselle held, and lost, substantial leads in each of the first three quarters. The Comets shot to an eight-point lead in the first period only to see the Navigators go on a 9-0 run to come within a 13-12 margin at the end of one. Again, in the second period, the Comets went on a 16-3 tear in the last seven minutes of the half to earn a 16-7 quarter advantage and go in at the half leading 29-19. The Comets defense had clamped down on the Navigators while the Burkhalter brothers and See had done all of the scoring in the quarter.It was the Comets turn to go flat in the third quarter and the Navigators responded with a 12-2 run in the first four minutes of the second half. The Navigators then added two three-balls, while the Comets were only scoring four points, to take their fourth and largest lead of the game. That two-point lead came with 1:50 left in the quarter. Naselle responded with a 5-0 run, with the last three points coming inside the final seven seconds of the quarter as Smith made one of two freebies and Austin rebounded the missed second shot and put in a short jumper for an unusual three-point play. That Naselle surge gave them a 40-37 lead at the end of three and the Comets were never to trail again.The Naselle lead varied from two to four points for the first three minutes of the fourth period until Kyle drove the key, faked a jump shot, and continued the drive for a hoop and a six point Naselle lead with 4:13 left. The Navigators weren't done as they came right back with four points. Sultemeier then came out of a Naselle time-out to score, Kyle scored again and the lead went back to six with less than two minutes to play.The Navigators' Ryan Fox responded with a three-ball and Northwest Christian added a free throw to trail only by two with 55 seconds left. But the Naselle defense and rebounding wouldn't allow the Navigators any more clean shots. The Comets were fouled three times in the remaining seconds and, between Austin and Smith, they were able to make three of six free throws to insure Naselle's five-point win.

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (53) - Ryan Fox 14, Mailhot 9, Hamilton 9, Myers 8, Groeschell 5, Cummings 4, Hobbs 4;
Rebounds (24)

NASELLE (58) - Kyle Burkhalter 26, Austin Burkhalter 11, Gabe See 10, Conor Smith 9, Sultemeier 2, Griss, Hines;
Rebounds (37) K. Burkhalter 9, See 8