Storm Surge: Chemeketa Overcomes Halftime Deficit to Topple Green River

Chemeketa closed out its pre-holiday trip with a 61–52 win over Green River on Friday night (Dec. 19) in Olympia, using a steady second-half push and a big advantage on the glass to pull away late.

Chemeketa set the tone early, holding Green River to seven points in the first quarter and taking a 13–7 lead. Green River answered in the second, outscoring Chemeketa 20–13 to grab momentum and carry a 37–26 edge into halftime.

The Storm (7–2) flipped the game after the break. Chemeketa tightened defensively and won the third quarter 17–15, then finished strong with an 18–10 fourth quarter to secure the nine-point final.

**Rebounding and defensive pressure** were the difference. Both teams finished with **43 rebounds**, but Chemeketa's activity translated into cleaner second-half possessions while Green River struggled to get quality looks. Green River shot just **29.3% (17-for-58)** from the floor, and Chemeketa's defense helped force a major turnover gap: **Green River 24 turnovers to Chemeketa's 17**. That extra possession battle was critical in a game where both offenses had stretches of inconsistency.

Chemeketa didn't shoot lights-out either (**41.2% overall**), and the Storm were cold from deep (**2-for-16, 12.5%**) and at the line (**3-for-12, 25%**). But they compensated by generating enough shots and stops late to win comfortably.

Green River had the opposite profile: **better free-throw production (14-for-21, 66.7%)** and more made threes (**4-for-22**) but too many empty possessions because of turnovers and missed field goals.

Chemeketa was led by **Ella Holwege**, who posted a strong all-around line in 38 minutes: **19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals**, anchoring the comeback and late-game control. **Ava Rubio** added **10 points and 9 rebounds**, while **Mia Fullbright** chipped in **9 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals**. Off the bench, **Bethany Villegas (Pictured - 10) provided a key scoring lift with **6 points** in 16 minutes.

For Green River (5–7), **Emma Sondergaard** led the way with **14 points** and **7 rebounds**, and **Riley Patzer** added **12 points**, including **3 made threes**. **Jayla Keowla** was a force on the glass with **15 rebounds** and contributed **9 points**, but Green River's offense couldn't consistently capitalize, especially late. A major hurdle was ball security, with Sondergaard finishing with **9 turnovers** as Chemeketa's pressure mounted.

- **Final:** Chemeketa 61, Green River 52
- **Quarter scores:** CHE 13-13-17-18, GR 7-20-15-10
- **Shooting:** Chemeketa 41.2%, Green River 29.3%
- **Turnovers:** Chemeketa 17, Green River 24
- **Rebounds:** Tied 43–43
- **Attendance:** 25 (Olympia, WA)

Chemeketa's ability to regroup after a rough second quarter, defend without fouling into a late free-throw parade, and control the final 20 minutes turned what looked like a Green River upset bid into a composed road win for the Storm.

Photo Credit: Ammon Teubner