Riverhawks Falter Late in District Loss to Mules

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ROCHESTER — Keeping it tight with the Central No. 3 Wahkiakum through two and a half quarters, the Central No. 7 Toledo boys basketball team fell in the first round of the 2B District 4 tournament Saturday night in Rochester, 71-48 after a tough last frame. 

The Riverhawks didn’t quite go away until late in the third, trailing the Mules by single digits at the half until a late collapse made a close game look not-so-tight. 

“You have to hang around,” Toledo coach Grady Fallon said of the team’s mentality. “Hopefully they miss a couple and you make a couple and then have a chance to strike at the end.”

Unfortunately, the Riverhawks did not get that chance. Though they were within striking distance midway through the third, the Mules went on a tear toward the end, blowing past Riverhawk defenders worried about the long ball and scoring in the paint at will. On the other end, Toledo couldn’t score consistently enough to get back into the ballgame. 

Kaven Winters led Toledo with 17 points, and Cooper Fallon added eight, and Toledo only turned the ball over 11 times in the loss. 

“Our mental focus was pretty good,” Grady Fallon said. “Our effort was excellent, our attention to some of the details was good and our turnovers were down because of it.”

The loss means the Riverhawks will play the loser of the district quarterfinal matchup between Morton-White Pass and Rainier next Friday at Black Hills with their season on the line. 

“Now the days are numbered,” Grady Fallon said. “We have to play well against whoever we play. This tournament is tough.”