Sunnyside Takes Down West Valley 67-55, Extends Win Streak to 8

Fans at West Valley High could not believe what they were witnessing.

The Rams (6-9) had put on a clinic in the fist half against Sunnyside (14-1).

West Valley's Spencer Bailey was practically toying with the Sunnyside defense, as he poured in 19 first-half points.

"We let them get in the key too much." said Sunnyside coach Bruce Siebol, "we needed to keep them in front of us, we were going to make them earn every shot."

Down 37-27, Sunnyside got in so many halftime adjustments, they didn't even have time to warm-up for the second half.

The momentum swing happened almost instantly.

Two minutes into the third quarter, unlikely hero Derrick Escamilla hit back-to-back 3's to pull Sunnyside closer 40-37.

The 5-11 junior guard would go on to terrorize West Valley's defense, scoring 13 points in the third quarter and giving Sunnyside a 47-46 lead.

"(Escamilla) is just a phenomenal basketball player, he did what he had to do to get the job done tonight," said guard Trey Sanchez on his teammate's performance.

Leading 47-46 going into the fourth quarter. Sunnyside would never look back.

Senior Art Palacios would chip in eight points in closing duty, as Sunnyside rolled to a 67-55 victory.

"The difference between the two halves... In the first half we stopped them, got the rebound, and attacked in transition. In the second half, they made the tough shots, so we weren't able to make those transitions," said a weary West Valley coach Jon Kinloch.

After such a dominant first half, it appeared the Rams were playing with house money the whole time.

Stand-out performances for Sunnyside include Trey Sanchez (20), Derrick Escamilla (21), and Art Placios (10). Spencer Bailey lead the way for West Valley with 24 points.

It's worth noting AC Davis Basketball was in attendance for this game, perhaps observing their new rival in the Big Nine.

Sunnyside is now an astonishing 14-1. They have quietly been a hidden gem in the Yakima Valley basketball scene.

They currently sit 12th in the RPI rankings as of this writing.

Following the signature win, team captain Art Palacios took a moment to reflect on the season.

"This team is having a ton of fun. The practices are fun, the vibes are good, this is a great time."

Sunnyside (14-1) vs Davis (12-2) is the place to be Saturday night, as the winner will most likely be crowned Big Nine Champs.

If you can't make it to Sunnyside High, you can listen live on 1460 ESPN Yakima (7:30 tip-off).