Class 2B State Boys Basketball: Toledo routed by Okanogan in Round of 12

SPOKANE — Too big, too long and too much to overcome.

It took until the state tournament, but the magic harnessed over a month-long stretch finally ran out for the Toledo High School boys basketball team.

Eleventh-seeded Okanogan used every advantage on the court to overwhelm the sixth-seeded Riverhawks to post a 87-54 victory in a Class 2B Round of 12 contest on Wednesday morning inside Spokane Arena.

“It is the end of the season regardless, it doesn’t feel good unless you’re that first place team, the third place team and the (fourth) place team,” Toledo head coach Grady Fallon said. “Those are the only ones that end with a win. It stings; we didn’t play very well.”

For a group with just one senior and a collection of juniors thrust into new roles, the pieces fit like a glove. The Riverhawks (22-5) lost just once before the new year, went on a nine-game winning streak to claim the District 4 title and a top-eight seed.

That leaves Adam Kruger feeling like the best is yet to come.

“I’m super proud of us, I knew we could do it,” the junior point guard said. “We’ve been playing with each other since we were young. We all trust each other.”

It had been six years since the last Toledo team to make state. Fallon wouldn’t go as far as saying this team peaked early, rather believing they were right on schedule.

When the season kicked off, he felt something different with this team than any other.

“Cutting down the nets was one of our goals, and get here,” he said. “The guys just got hungry.”

In the first game of the 2B boys bracket, it turned into a route.

Okanogan (21-6) used a 17-0 outburst from the end of the first quarter to the middle of the second to break a 14-14 tie and take firm control.

The Bulldogs turned blocks from their forwards into transition buckets. Freshman Wadyn Brown and senior Jordan Shiflett combined for 20 of their 26 second period points.

“It is hard to pinpoint the last two games other than  lack of experience,” Fallon said. “The East side proved how good they were. They earned it, this side has got some horses.”

Conner Hill scored five straight to cut the margin to 12, but that was the closest the Riverhawks would come the remainder of the morning.

Okanogan built the lead to 30 in the third frame. In the Opening Round and Round of 12, Toledo allowed the most and second-most points on its schedule.

“I expected more this year,” Kruger said. “It's a lot harder to take it to the rim.”

The size differential didn’t faze Toledo early. Despite going up against 6-foot-8 and 6-9, it boxed out effectively forced turnovers around the perimeter. The Riverhawks led by as much as three in the opening eight minutes.

Cooper Fallon faced double teams as soon as he touched the ball and the kickouts were silenced by the Bulldogs’ length.

“Just couldn’t get anything to fall and shockingly, they got more fastbreaks than we did,” Coach Fallon said. “That was one of our strategies to get it and go. Those are just momentum plays.”

Toledo was paced by Cooper Fallon’s 14 points while Hill chipped in 12 and Kruger added 10. Brown, off the bench, poured in a game-high 23 points for Okanogan while Shiflett registered 15 and Bosie State football recruit Carter Kuchenbach recorded 10 points.

The Bulldogs will face fourth-seeded Colfax in the quarterfinals on Thursday morning. Toledo will head home, but Kruger is hopeful the two losses at state will add fuel to the fire for the 2025-26 campaign.

“We’re going to get in the gym with each other and play some basketball,” he said.