With the offense finally beginning to come into place, and steady defensive improvement, the Hermiston boys basketball team will be more than ready when the Columbia River Conference schedule begins in 2011.

But first, the team is focused on trying to win its home tournament. They beat Kennewick (Wash.) 64-53 on Monday in first-round action of the Hermiston Holiday Hoops Classic.

The Dawgs ran through their half-court sets like a practice gainst the Lions, seemingly getting whatever shot they were looking for. And unlike during the five-game losing skid the Dawgs stumbled to early on, they knocked down those open looks at the rim.

“We stayed patient and worked for a good shot,” Hermiston coach Larry Usher said. “We could do whatever we wanted if we didn’t turn the ball over.”

One possession that really characterized what the Dawgs’ offensive was all about was the final look at the rim of the first half. The guards along the perimeter continually moved the ball and ran more than 45 seconds off the clock, before whipping a pass to Ryan Parsons for a 3-pointer in the deep left corner at the horn to give Hermiston a 34-27 lead.

Parsons, who is filling in for injured senior Austin Boedigheimer, cashed in his only points of the game with that shot, but played the type of game that a scorebook doesn’t give justice to.

“He did a really good job,” Usher said of Parsons. “Seemed like whenever we need a huge box-out and a rebound, he was the guy. He does a good job defending on the ball, too.”

After coming out of the halftime break, the Dawgs were really sluggish the first part of the third quarter. After turning the ball over three straight times down the floor and forcing a bad shot, they settled down, and senior forward Trevor Phillips decided to deliver a highlight.

From his spot behind Kennewick defenders sitting in a 2-3 zone, Phillips was able to open up some space, receive a pass from Alex Ortiz and throw down a ferocious two-handed slam dunk to give Hermiston a 43-34 lead and a shot of energy with less than four minutes in the period.

“We’ve been having some good matchups lately that have allowed Trevor to play with his back to basket a bit more,” Usher said. “But he also likes to get the ball of the bounce and finish strong that way.”

Phillips ended with a game-high 19 points, and like his coach said with the matchup issues, the Lions couldn’t counter with the sheer size of the 6-foot-7 forward, allowing him to feast in the paint.

“I think we’re just playing a lot better as a team,” he said. “My teammates found me and I couldn’t do it without them.”

Leading by just five at the end of the third period, Hermiston did a fantastic job in the fourth frame of getting their shot in system, rather than trying to force them out of the flow of the offense.

Just to open the final quarter, Parsons drove hard to the bucket down the baseline, zipped a pass to a cutting Phillips for a layin. About three minutes later, senior guard Kurt Simmons converted a fastbreak layin to give Hermiston a 53-45 lead. At the 3:50 mark, Simmons provided the dagger with a silky-smooth trey from the corner, giving the Dawgs a 58-45 advantage.

Offensively for the Dawgs, following Phillips’ 19 was point guard Joey Burns, scoring 15. Ortiz chipped in 13 while Simmons rounded out the double-figures scorers with 10.

For the Lions, Reggie Clinton led the way with 15 points. Bryce Leavitt scored 12 and Brandon Pocasangre contributed 11 in the loss.

The win put the Dawgs in the Holiday Hoops title game Tuesday against Lewiston, but the game was not over before the Herald press time. Check in Friday’s issue of the Herald for complete game coverage.