Defending Champion Walla Walla Takes Down the Storm at Home
Storm Drop a Game at Home in Defensive Showcase on a Cold Shooting Night From Both Teams
Walla Walla used a dominant third quarter and a major rebounding edge to pull away from Chemeketa, earning a 65–44 road win Wednesday evening (Dec. 17) at the Storm Center.
Chemeketa actually nudged ahead early, taking an 11–10 lead after the first quarter. But Walla Walla began to control the game in the second, holding Chemeketa to just eight points in the period and taking a 28–19 advantage into halftime. The decisive stretch came out of the break: Walla Walla outscored Chemeketa 22–14 in the third quarter, turning a manageable margin into a commanding 50–33 lead. From there, Walla Walla stayed steady in the fourth (15–11) to close out the 21-point win.
The numbers show how Walla Walla created separation. They won the rebounding battle 53–31, including 17 offensive boards that fueled extra possessions. Chemeketa struggled to score efficiently, finishing at 29.8% from the floor (17-for-57), while Walla Walla shot 36.8% (25-for-68) and was perfect at the free-throw line (11-for-11). Both teams made four 3-pointers, but Walla Walla's second-chance opportunities and steadier scoring across all four quarters were the difference. Turnovers were comparable (Chemeketa 13, Walla Walla 12), so the game largely swung on shot quality and rebounding.
Individually, Macie Milum led Walla Walla with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting and added a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double. Hadley Fraas provided 15 points and eight rebounds, and Logan Sailors chipped in nine points and nine rebounds while grabbing five offensive boards. Off the bench, Ella Johnson gave Walla Walla a lift with eight points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes, and Sidnee Geerdes added six points on an efficient 3-of-4 shooting.
For Chemeketa, Mia Fullbright paced the Storm with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Kaiya Woolsey contributed seven points off the bench, while Ella Holwege, Patricia Mike, and Ava Rubio each scored six. Rubio also pulled down seven rebounds, but Chemeketa couldn't overcome the deficit on the glass or the cold shooting night.
With the win, Walla Walla improved to 8–2, while Chemeketa moved to 5–2. Attendance was listed at 125, and Chemeketa was assessed one technical foul (team).