Walla Walla's Fast Start Proves Too Much For The Storm To Overcome
Gavin Aguilar Scores 34 Points in High-Scoring Affair With Walla Walla
Walla Walla turned a fast start into a convincing road win Friday afternoon, beating Chemeketa 103–81 at the Storm Center on Dec. 19.
Walla Walla blitzed Chemeketa in the opening 20 minutes, building a **52–31 halftime lead** behind hot perimeter shooting and efficient finishing. The visitors ended the day at **58.9% from the field (33-for-56)** and **45.5% from three (15-for-33)**, numbers that made it difficult for Chemeketa to ever fully erase the early deficit.
Chemeketa played a much better second half—outscoring Walla Walla **50–51** in the final period and trading baskets for long stretches—but the first-half hole proved too deep.
Walla Walla's scoring came in waves, led by **Jake Curtis** off the bench. Curtis posted a dominant line of **25 points** on **8-of-11 shooting**, went a perfect **8-for-8 at the line**, and controlled the glass with **13 rebounds**.
Walla Walla also received strong complementary production:
- **Josh Byers:** 14 points, including **3 threes**
- **Braden Sherrill:** 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting
- **Trebor Edwards:** 13 points with **4 made threes**
- **Tanner Goldsmith:** 13 points and **8 rebounds**
- **Drew Hottinger:** 10 points, 3 assists, 2 steals
As a team, Walla Walla was nearly automatic at the stripe, hitting **22-of-23 free throws (95.7%)**, which helped blunt any momentum swings.
Chemeketa was carried by an outstanding performance from **Gavin Aguilar**, who poured in **34 points** on **14-of-20** shooting and added **4 rebounds** and **3 assists** while playing all 40 minutes. **Ahmad Koroma** added **13 points** and **8 rebounds**, while **Treyvan Wilkerson** scored **12**.
Still, Chemeketa's biggest issue was the three-point gap: the Storm went just **2-of-9 from deep (22.2%)** compared to Walla Walla's 15 triples. Chemeketa also left points at the line, finishing **15-of-22 (68.2%)**, while Walla Walla barely missed.
- **Halftime:** Walla Walla 52, Chemeketa 31
- **Final:** Walla Walla 103, Chemeketa 81
- **Rebounds:** Walla Walla 35, Chemeketa 24
Walla Walla's combination of early pace, elite shooting efficiency, and a decisive advantage from three created separation that Chemeketa couldn't overcome, even with Aguilar's high-volume scoring and a stronger second half.
Pictured: Josh Small - 11 | Photo Credit: The Athlete Studio Instagram: @TheAthlete_Studio