ROCHESTER — This time last season, the Tenino Beavers had the chance to clinch a postseason spot at home on senior night against Rochester.
The Beavers lost that matchup by three, and though they ended up beating Rochester in a tiebreaker match a week later to claim the playoff spot anyway, there was still a bitter taste in their mouth from the regular season finale.
Flash forward to Tuesday night in Rochester, the stakes were the same. With a win, the Beavers would not only return the favor of a senior night loss, but they would also eliminate the Warriors from postseason contention while clinching a spot of their own.
“It felt a little personal,” Tenino coach Kirsi Gofinch admitted with a smile.
The Beavers got the job done this time around, defeating Rochester 45-35 to clinch their second straight district tournament berth and avoid a potential tiebreaker matchup.
Before leaving, Tenino took a few minutes to celebrate together in the locker room.
“They’re really excited,” Gofinch said. “We wanted to have a little time to breathe … They’re thrilled. I’m so blessed. It’s such a great group of girls, and they all celebrate for each other.”
The two teams traded punches early before Tenino began to pull away in the second. Kylie Gonia connected on a layup with 4:51 to play in the first half, and in that stretch, the Beavers outscored the Warriors 13-4 to push their lead to 12.
Rochester scored the first two buckets out of the break before falling into a similar slump. In a 10-minute stretch from early in the third quarter to the middle of the fourth, the Warriors scored just two points, both free throws.
“Just one of those stretches we’ve been battling all year long,” Rochester coach Keeli Rivas said. “You gotta have the whole floor contributing … We’ll see glimpses of it, but we gotta string together four quarters of that.”
In that same stretch, the Beavers continued to extend their lead. Alyssa Broderson capped the third quarter with a three-point play, one that put Tenino up 39-23 heading into the final frame.
In the fourth, Rochester’s Chloe Verd got going, hitting one three and another long two to keep the Warriors back within striking distance.
“In a time where we need points, and it’s crucial, she steps up,” Rivas said. “She came up clutch in a pressure moment.”
It wasn’t enough, though, as it never got closer than eight, and the Beavers were able to drain the rest of the clock.
It’s the third game in a row that Tenino has given up 42 or fewer points, a welcome sign for an “undersized” team that can now prepare for a postseason run.
“They’ve come so far this year,” Gofinch said. “They’re starting to realize that’s one of their strengths as a team. They’re quick, and they can get after it. They’re learning how to fight through even when we have that lack of size.”
Lexi Hoover finished with 10 points to lead the Warriors, while Alexis Dupont added eight, Lauren Rodriguez added six, and Verd finished with five.
With a win, Rochester (4-16, 0-7 1A Evergreen) would have at least clinched a potential tiebreaker against Tenino, and the Warriors could have clinched the Evergreen’s No. 4 seed outright if they were to knock off Hoquiam on Thursday.
Now, though, Thursday’s matchup will serve as their season finale.
“My goal is to go in there and give it everything we got,” Rivas said. “Just go out having fun, working hard, and seeing growth … We’re just finding the positives in the little things. Our time will come.”
Chloe Grayless, Tenino’s lone senior, scored 12 points, as did Charley Jones. Kylie Gonia added 11, Lilly Pfaff scored four, and both Broderson and Georgia Gore added three.
Tenino (6-15, 2-6 1A Evergreen) will now have the next six days off before facing either La Center or Fort Vancouver in the 1A District 4 pigtail game next Tuesday, Feb. 10. It’ll be the Beavers’ second straight appearance in the district pigtail game, which is where they lost to Castle Rock last winter.
“I’m so proud of them,” Gofinch said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”
