Host Elma honored its seniors on Jan. 25, but Hoquiam’s seniors were the ones who stood out in this Evergreen 1A League boys basketball contest.

Misfiring from the perimeter, the Grizzlies were told by head coach Curtis Eccles to stop shooting from the outside, leading to a paint-dominating performance from senior Jack Adams III and Jace Varner en route to a 56-30 victory over the Eagles.

Avery Brown led Elma (1-5, 3-13) with 12 points.

“We struggled scoring in the first half and did a bit better in the second half, but we struggled,” Elma head coach Marvin Prince said. “The kids kept battling. Our defense wasn’t the greatest, but we took away some things that were pretty good.”

Against Elma’s defense, Hoquiam worked the ball inside, drove the lane and had players flying to the basket for second- and third-chance opportunities. It was effective as the Grizzlies outrebounded the Eagles, 38-23, including 17 offensive rebounds.

“There were times when they’d get 2-3 chances on one trip down the floor and you can’t do that,” Prince added. “You have to play defense and keep them from those extra chances. We told the guys they needed to limit their opportunities and we had 21 turnovers. You can’t turn it over. You have to make the shots when you have them. You have to play good defense, limit their opportunities.”

Seniors A.J. Brown, Sohtye Tep, Peterson, Trace Thompson, Vollan and Isaac Horton were honored before the game. Thompson is out for the season with a broken elbow, which he suffered earlier in the week.