Blackhawk boys win streak at four

EAST WENATCHEE – Call it an early Christmas present if you will for Cheney boys basketball coach Travis Peevey.

The four-game winning streak the Blackhawks find themselves riding has Peevey sounding like a kid who got just what he wanted from under the tree.

Cheney returned home from the Eastmont’s 2023 GESA Winter Shootout with wins over Monroe, 58-46, on Dec. 20, Wenatchee — again — 59-24, on Dec. 21, and Spanaway Lake, 62-55, on Dec. 22 to push its record to 5-4 following an 0-3 start.

“This was a huge week for us program wide,” Peevey wrote in an email. “JV went 3-0 as well and the hard work the boys put in during practice leading up to it paid off.”

Behind the usual offensive leadership of Even Stinson and his 25 points, Cheney raced to a 15-9 first quarter lead and never looked back against the 6-3 WESCO 3A Tigers.

For a change, the Blackhawks had other contributors who scored in double figures as both Grayson Burton and Liam Carver scored 11.

“When we play together and our mindset is expecting to win against tough opponents, good things happen,” Peevey said.

Cheney had just made the road trip to meet Wenatchee, Dec. 9 and won going away, 72-24 against the winless (0-9) Panthers. The Blackhawks’ start was even more dominant as they enjoyed a 27-2 first quarter edge against the 4A Big 9 Conference team whose road trip was just a few miles from across the Columbia River.

Stinson’s 30 points was the standard with Connor Magalsky next closest with seven.

“We are proud of how they competed together playing three games in three days and taking care of business on the road,” Peevey said.

Peevey called this pre-holiday outing a “business trip” and Cheney concluded the grind topping the 3A Sentinels (6-4). Unlike other games this season, Cheney won late, erasing a 41-40 third quarter lead by Spanaway Lake with a decisive 22-14 fourth quarter.

Stinson topped all scorers with 29 points.

Cheney has one more non-league game, Dec. 29 at Southridge of Kennewick prior to the start of Greater Spokane League play Jan. 4 when Ferris visits, but Peevey suggests that the Blackhawks are ready having played eight of 10 contests on the road “Will help us deal with adversity later in the season.”