The Enumclaw Hornet basketball squad remained undefeated after notching two more impressive South Puget Sound League 3A victories, despite playing without starting post Tarren VanTrojen, who injured an ankle during practice last week.

The first of these league triumphs – which kept EHS ranked No. 1 in the state polls – came Jan. 26 against winless Peninsula at home, 72-38.

Friday, on the road, the Hornets won at Clover Park 53-49, to avenge last year’s solitary regular-season loss. The victory came courtesy of some fourth-quarter heroics by senior guard Riley Carel.

After trailing the Warriors at intermission 25-22, a 31-point second half Hornet surge spelled the demise of the feisty Warrior bunch. Carel hit a fadeaway 3-point bucket with the shot clock winding down in the final minute of the contest, that tickled the twine to turn away the Clover Park threat.

Both Carel and fellow senior guard Jayson Lewis registered 16 points in the conquest that gave the Hornets a two-game cushion in the SPSL standings, with four league games remaining to play.

Against 0-11 Peninsula, Lewis and Carel teamed up to score more than 30 points. Senior guard Taylor Myers chipped in 14 to help annihilate Peninsula.

The Hornets will put their untarnished record on the line without the stellar play of VanTrojen, tumbling headlong into tough contests against Lakes Thursday and Franklin Pierce Tuesday. Those two sit in second and third in the SPSL 3A hoop race, respectively.

If VanTrojen isn’t able to go in Thursday’s contest, look for the Lancers to exploit that deficiency in the low post with 6-foot, 9-inch Zack Banner.