Panthers Control Game From Start to Finish in Win Over River Ridge

Eli Davis - 20 pts, 5 reb. Photo credit: Izumi Jorden "Zi" Taijeron @ijctmedia

Saturday night brought another strong test to Bonney Lake, as the Bonney Lake Panthers hosted the River Ridge Hawks in a non-league matchup.

Bonney Lake entered the night at 14–1 and sitting atop its division, while River Ridge arrived from Lacey with a 7–6 record, ranked fifth in the 3A Puget Sound District. What followed was a competitive opening half before the Panthers’ depth, pressure, and pace took over.

The first quarter featured good back-and-forth play, with both teams settling in early. Bonney Lake edged ahead 11–7 as multiple Panthers got involved offensively, led by Jace Andino, who set the tempo from the opening tip. Andino scored six points in the first quarter, controlling the pace and pushing the ball in transition.

Keenan Perry - 13 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl. Photo credit: Izumi Jorden "Zi" Taijeron @ijctmedia

River Ridge answered with a momentum-swinging dunk to tie the game at 13, but Keenan Perry responded immediately, drilling his second three-pointer of the quarter to swing the energy back to the home side. Bonney Lake closed the quarter with a slim 16–13 advantage.

The Panthers turned up the pressure in the second.

Defensive intensity led to steals and quick scoring opportunities, and Bonney Lake began to separate. Cole Seminara knocked down a three-pointer to cap a 13–1 Panthers run, pushing the lead to 29–14. While the Hawks found some offense late in the quarter, Bonney Lake remained in control and took a 32–27 lead into halftime, clearly dictating the pace on both ends.

Coming out of the break, Bonney Lake asserted itself.

Jace Andino - 17 pts, 5 ast. Photo credit: Izumi Jorden "Zi" Taijeron @ijctmedia

The Panthers opened the third quarter with purpose, extending the lead behind strong rebounding and fast-break opportunities. Eli Davis ignited the crowd with a powerful dunk and began to take over offensively, scoring seven points in the quarter. Midway through the third, Bonney Lake stretched the lead to 40–29, and by the end of the period, the Panthers had built a commanding 51–31 advantage.

Andino continued to orchestrate the offense, spreading his scoring throughout the game while making the open floor look effortless in transition.

The fourth quarter was more of the same.

Davis stayed aggressive, adding another seven points in the final frame as the Panthers maintained steady control. Bonney Lake cycled in fresh legs while continuing to defend and rebound at a high level. Perry filled the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Andino finished with 17 points and five assists, consistently setting the tone.

Cole Seminara - 8 pts, 3 reb, 3 stl. Photo credit: Izumi Jorden "Zi" Taijeron @ijctmedia

Bonney Lake coasted through the closing minutes and secured a 66–50 victory, improving to 15–1 on the season.

The Panthers will be back home on Wednesday night, hosting Yelm Tornados as they continue a busy stretch of games.

Box Score – Bonney Lake vs. River Ridge

• Eli Davis – 20 pts, 5 reb

• Jace Andino – 17 pts, 5 ast

• Keenan Perry – 13 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl

• Cole Seminara – 8 pts, 3 reb, 3 stl

• Robert Mosley IV – 6 pts, 2 reb

• Jayden Barrett – 2 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl