ROYAL CITY – After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Wahluke Warriors used long scoring runs in the second and third quarters to defeat Royal on its home court on Friday night, leaving Royal City with a 63-43 win.

“It’s the best feeling (to get a win), especially when you’re up by 20,” Wahluke senior guard Orlando Nunez said. “Especially to a rival, it’s very exciting. We knew we could do this.”

Nunez led the Warriors with 26 points, 17 of which he scored in the first half to get the Warriors going on the offensive end.

“He’s just a big dog,” Wahluke Head Coach Clayton Buck said of Nunez. “He’s got a lot of intensity, he hates losing, he’s really competitive. He just wanted to go out there and lead them all the time.”

Wahluke led 13-12 after the first eight minutes of the contest, later taking a 26-16 lead on an 11-point run midway through the second quarter. By the end of the quarter, the Warriors held a 30-20 lead.

“They turned us over, and that’s definitely a trademark of theirs,” Royal Head Coach Greg Jenks said. “If they can get turnovers, that’s what triggers their energy and really allows them to go on runs.”

Buck said the slow starts are a staple for Wahluke, who uses the opening minutes of the game to dissect their opponents.

“We tend to want to wait and see what they’ve got, and, for some reason, the light turns on and we’re out the gate,” Buck said.

The Knights managed to cut the Wahluke lead to only three points on an 8-2 run to begin the second half, but the Warriors rallied with another long run of their own. By the end of the third quarter, Wahluke led 44-31.

Even with the game played in Royal City, Wahluke fans packed the stands and were just as loud as the home crowd.

“The boys thrive on that,” Buck said. “That crowd out there is tenacious. Our crowd follows us, they’re really hyped about this game… I think everybody marks it on their calendar.”

Nunez got going again in the fourth quarter, hitting a three before scoring two more baskets on drives to the rim.

“It’s just a normal day for me,” Nunez said. “As a leader for my team, I had to come up. I'm coming off an injury, but I’m back and I’m ready.”

Wahluke closed out the game by outscoring Royal 19-12 in the fourth quarter. After a 1-4 start to the year, the Warriors are now 7-6 this season, winning six of their past eight games.

“At the beginning of the season we were trying to find ourselves,” Buck said. “We lost three guys from last year, so three guys have stepped up, kind of had to adjust a little bit.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at [email protected]. To read more sports and news from the Basin, visit us online at www.columbiabasinherald.com.

Box Score

Wahluke 13-17-14-19: 63

Royal 12-8-11-12: 43