After struggling to defeat Chester 63-50 back in December, the Pioneers made a statement Friday night by blowing out the Yellow Jackets 80-43 in Campbell Hill.
The Chester offense had no answer for the swarming Trico man-to-man defense and finished the game with 20 turnovers.
Trico got out of the gates quickly behind back-to-back three-point shots from Dylan Witthoft and Jesse Smith for a 6-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets fought back to cut the deficit to 8-7, but the Pioneers finished the quarter with a 9-3 run for a 17-10 first quarter lead.
Witthoft nailed two three-pointers in the opening quarter for six points, while Smith also finished the first frame with six points. Trico made 6-of-10 shots in the first quarter, while Chester was just 4-of-11.
The second quarter was all Trico, as the Pioneers held Chester to just two field goals in the frame and outscored them 20-8 for a comfortable 37-18 halftime lead. Chester was just 2-of-12 from the floor in the period.
Tyler Coleman came up big for the Pioneers with seven points in the second quarter, while Witthoft had five and Smith added four.
Both teams did a good job of stopping each other’s top scorers as Zach Lochhead finished the first half with just one point, while Chase Heins had only two points.
Trico put the finishing touches of the rout early in the third quarter as the team started the period with a 10-0 run behind five points from Heins, a mid-range jumper from Coleman and a three-pointer from Smith.
The Pioneers outscored Chester 24-11 in the third quarter for a 61-29 advantage heading into the fourth. Trico made 9-of-16 shots in the quarter, while Chester was just 4-of-12.
Taylor Pyatt led Trico with six points in the third, while Heins and Smith each had five. Logan Thies made his home debut in the period and received a standing ovation from the Trico fans. Thies, who suffered a knee injury in the preseason, was Trico’s leading scorer last season.
Trico coasted to the commanding win in the fourth quarter outscoring Chester 19-14 for the 37-point decision.
Smith and Witthoft finished with 15 points each to pace the Pioneers, while Coleman added 11, Pyatt had eight and Heins tossed in seven.
Matt Chandler led Chester with 12 points, while Lochhead and Justin Woodward each had six in the loss.
Trico improved to 14-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play following the win.
Chester dropped to 7-7 on the season and 2-3 in the Black Diamond West with the loss.