By james art 
The NESTUCCA BOBCATS boys’ basketball team achieved a dominant 68-42 victory against Vernonia Loggers at home on January 21st.
Austin Renault led a 23-point Nest, and Igan Ortiz recorded 15 of the bench, while Bobkks extended their winning series to four and improved to 9-7 during the season.
Nestucca came out hot, with Reno absolutely lit, scored four at the beginning and helped the cats take an early advance of 9-3 in the middle of the quarter. Rino’s burning performance continued for the rest of the quarter, and he scored 12 in a row, including a four-point game, raising the lead to 24-7 at the end of one.
Nesting coach Justin Hartford gave his holders a break to start the second quarter and the team cooled a little, with Ortiz scoring only four points to the cats in the first four minutes, making the score 28-12. The Nestuka attack continued to struggle to find his support as the weather was running out of half and the attack of the Venus showed signs of life, reducing the lead to 33-24 of the half.
But after the holders returned to start the second half, Nestuka again mastered the initiative, with Rino coming five straight from the door and the renewed intensity of the defense returned the lead to 15 in the middle of the quarter. The continuing defensive pressure through the rest of the quarter and the stable offensive sent the game in the fourth quarter with a difference of 54-34.
The fourth quarter was largely trouble-free, as Nestucca backup players again took the word and the lead grows to 22 before ending with 68-42.
With the victory, Nestucca improved to 5-1 in the league and 9-7 in the season to head to a away game against KNAPPA on January 24 (the result is not available). They followed home matches against Columbia Christian and Portland Christian, scheduled for January 27 and 29, and a visit against Clatskanie on January 31st.