Mount Si’s boys basketball team showed signs of steady improvement as they pulled off a big win Friday, Jan. 7, over Sammamish.

Behind 17 points from Trent Riley and a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds from Dallas Smith, the Wildcats built a big second-half lead and held off the Totems, 53-46, at Mount Si High School.

“That’s a great win,” Mount Si coach Steve Helm said. “That’s a good basketball team we played.

“I think our guys responded well,” Helm said. “They battled for four quarters. They played physical and tough.”

Part of that toughness can be attributed to a strong post game; the Wildcats grabbed a total of 46 rebounds, led by the 13 of Joe Farmer.

Mason Bragg scored 10 points as the Wildcats held a lead as large as 17 at one point in the second half before Sammamish rallied to make things interesting late. For Bragg, who is new to the team and the school—he transferred this year from Australia—it has been an adjustment, both on and off the floor. But the junior’s transition has been smooth.

“It’s been really good. I really miss back home, but the basketball team has really embraced me and I’ve met a lot of friends since I’ve been here and school’s going great,” Bragg said.

As for Riley, his 17 came off a strong outing in the loss to Bellevue along with a couple of excellent performances in Boston. The sophomore was ready to roll.

“I just came out and teammates were looking for me, gave me some good passes and my shot was falling, so when I’m hitting, I just keep shooting and I just caught fire tonight,” he said.

“We’re a whole new team and we’re just going to keep bringing energy and they can expect some more wins,” he said.

Mount Si hosts Lake Washington Friday, Jan. 14, with a tip time expected shortly after 8 p.m. The Wildcats at the beginning of the season posted a road upset over the Kangs, who at that time were ranked number four in the state.