Interstate Girls Basketball: Rainier rides over Castle Rock in overtime

The Night Before — Dean shines as Columbians, Rockets stay up late

Basketballs take a rest in the bleachers of a local gymnasium while the Castle Rock girls basketball team competed in a game during the 2024-25 season. On Monday, Dec. 23, the Rockets lost 60-55 to Rainier in overtime at home. — Jordan Nailon / Blast Zone Media

Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

T’was the night before the night before Christmas and in gymnasiums around The Blast Zone not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse. But there was no rest for the weary in Castle Rock, Monday evening, when the Rockets hosted their doppelgängers from Rainier, Oregon for a non-league girls basketball tilt that was worth more than the price of admission.

The pre-Christmas present for local hoops fans wound up going into overtime before the Columbians were able to escape back to Oregon Country with a 60-55 win over their hosts on LeBaron Court.

If the Rockets and Columbians were both in the WIAA (It is possible! See: Hermiston) they’d be members of the 1A ranks based on school size. But their similarities extend to the court, as well, where they were matched up like a face in a mirror during their most recent meeting.

“The girls played really hard last night,” Castle Rock coach Jordan Garbe said. “Rainier is a pretty strong basketball team with some real threats in the paint.”