A shooting star was seen by many in La Conner Friday Jan. 24.
Stellar Braves guard Brayden Pedroza scored a game-high 21 points to lead the La Conner boys’ basketball team to a 67-50 NW2B/1B win over Darrington before a large Senior Night crowd at Landy James Gym.
Pedroza made sure La Conner fans got more than their money’s worth.
Late in the second quarter, the senior sharpshooter drained a perimeter trey that put him over 1,000 career points. Braves head coach Lance Lopez immediately called timeout and presented Pedroza with a commemorative basketball marking the occasion.
“It’s super nice to have a kid like that, who has also emerged as one of our leaders,” Lopez said. “He’s just a special, talented player.”
It was fitting that Pedroza reached the four-figure mark with a three-pointer as that is an area he focused on prior to the season—and has continued to polish throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
“I’ve been working a lot on my three-pointers,” Pedroza said after the victory against Darrington, which saw the Braves improve to 6-1 in conference action and 9-8 overall. “My dad came in a couple days ago and helped me with my three-point shot.”
The soft-spoken Pedroza shared scoring duties last season with since-graduated guard Ivory Damien, who lit up Coupeville for 38 points—all but three in the second half—in a wild shootout with La Conner’s longtime rival a year ago.
Pedroza had his own 38-point outburst this month in a 75-37 rout of Concrete. He and classmate Corran Eisen, who also regularly scores in double figures, have benefitted from the deft passing of La Conner’s senior point guard C.J. Edwards.
“We have six seniors this year who are huge for us,” Lopez stressed. “They’re a fun group. They come in and work hard every night. They know their roles and fill them well.”
Pedroza’s primary role, of course, is scoring given his sweet shooting touch, ability to elevate over defenders in the paint, and knack for creating shots off the dribble. But because he often draws double-teams, Pedroza has likewise proved effective dishing the ball to open teammates, most notably Eisen and senior forward Tyler Cicotte.
Pedroza’s performance against Darrington was fairly typical. He drained a pair of three-pointers and hit six buckets inside the trey arc—mostly mid-range pull-up jumpers. Pedroza also sank his lone free throw attempt.
His 21 points lifted him to 1,010 overall with three regular season contests and an undetermined number of playoff appearances looming Lopez, in his second year at the Braves helm, anticipated that Pedroza would reach the 1,000-point milestone at some point this season. Celebrating the moment was always a no-brainer, he said.
“I wanted to make sure we acknowledged it the right way,” Lopez said. “I always planned to call time out when he made it, have it announced, and then present him with the ball.”
Pedroza was feted with a loud ovation and following the game enjoyed posing for a slew of photos with friends and family.
In basketball terms, Lopez’s plan to honor the Braves’ standout was indeed a slam dunk.
