The Centralia College men’s basketball team pulled itself out of a 22-point hole but couldn’t hang on to upset its way to a first win this season, ultimately falling to preseason No. 1 Columbia Basin 88-82 on the first day of the Red Devil Classic in Longview on Friday.
“It kind of got away from us in the end, but damn, we battled,” CC coach Joe Chirhart said.
CBC hit a free throw with 7:00 left in the first half to go up 42-20, but the Blazers ended the period on a 23-10 run to close the period, with Kevin Williams nailing a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the gap to single-digits at the break.
Then, after a slow start to the second half for both teams, CC went on a 10-0 run in just over three minutes to tie things up at 56-56, and Williams hit another three to give the Blazers a lead with 11:47 left.
“We kind of just chipped our way back in,” Chirhart said.
Centralia never got its lead past three points, though, and Columbia Basin wrested control back three minutes later, getting its lead back to double-digits by the final four minutes.
Orion Dybdahl led the Blazers with a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double, and also had four assists, two steals and two blocks. Williams pitched in 16 points, seven boards and five assists, while Nashon Henderson Crews had 11 points.
CBC’s Ta’Veus Randle led all scorers with 31 points, though he only hit six field goals, logging a 19-for-21 line from the free-throw line.
CC was set to take on Everett in another matchup in Longview on Saturday.
I’m excited about where we’re headed, but we’ve got to start learning how to win games,” Chirhart said. “Winning games, as much as losing games is a habit, so we’ve got to get there.”
